Why Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros) are AMAZING
Growing up in a Spanish/Latin/Cuban household we had rice and beans all the time. We had them on the weekend, during the week, on a Thursday, on special occasions, at Christmas on New Years. I couldn’t get away from them! When you have such easy access to something I guess you never truly appreciate it. And then I moved away from home and the city I was in didn’t have a large Latin community and I found myself longing for rice and beans. It was amazing how black beans were like home and I missed them.
I longed for the smell of onions and garlic wafting from the kitchen. I began to appreciate this humble dish because beans(and rice) are at the heart of the Latin kitchen. Inexpensive, can feed a crowd and filling. Everything you want and need in a dish when you’re cooking on a budget or for a large group/family. These without a doubt are my go to beans. The only fat they have comes from the olive oil. They’re good for you, full of fiber and minerals and most of all they ARE DELICIOUS!! I have made a few changes from the standard black bean recipe in that I don’t use green peppers (NOT a fan) and I use a combo of stock and water.
I love to make a double batch and store them in containers in the freezer, so I always know I have black beans ready in a pinch for a weeknight meal. They make the house smell amazing when they’re cooking. And they are multi-taskers because they can be served alongside a variety of dishes: with fajitas, in a burrito, in a bowl with a scoop of rice and a side salad for a perfect lunch and one of my favorite ways is served alongside a Cuban sandwich.
Top them with diced onion or cilantro, a splash of white vinegar or olive oil. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! I hope you will take the time to make these beans and I look forward to hearing from you how they came out.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @dashofkmc so you can see what I’m cooking because Everything is better with a Dash of KMC!
Lots of Love! Karla
Cuban Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)
Ingredients
- 1 lb Dry black beans Goya preferred
- 8 oz Sofrito See recipe section for more info
- 1½ tsp Ground cumin
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 tsp Kosher salt Diamond Crystal preferred
- 3 Tbsp Olive oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Tbsp White vinegar
- ½ cup Dry white cooking wine* Edmondo brand preferred
- 4 cups Chicken stock- low sodium
- 3 cups Water
Instructions
- Remove any debris or little rocks mixed in with the beans. Cover the black beans with water and soak overnight. Discard the soaking liquid.
- Place the soaked beans in a large pot and cover with 4 cups of low sodium chicken stock and 3 cups of water and 1 tablespoon of olive oil (this will help keep the beans from foaming). Bring to a boil, lower to a simmer and cook for about 1 hour or until the beans are tender. DO NOT ADD SALT at this point, it will make your beans tough. Check beans periodically and if the water level runs low, add an additional 1 cup of water. DO NOT drain the liquid.
- In a separate pot place 2 tablespoons olive oil on medium high heat. As the oil starts to ripple, add in the sofrito and saute for approximately 2 minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano and salt.
- Add in the black beans with their liquid, the dry cooking wine (vino seco), the white vinegar and the bay leaf. Simmer for another 30 minutes stirring occasionally. Add additional salt to taste. Remove the bay leaf before serving.
- Optional: To help thicken the beans, take approximately 1 cup of the beans and mash them in a bowl and then mix them back into the pot.
- *Normally I would use a dry white wine you can drink when adding it to a dish. But the Edmondo dry white cooking wine adds a certain authenticity to the dish, makes it feel like your Abuela (grandma) made it.