Dominican Bean Stew Habichuelas Rojas Guisadas Food

HABICHUELAS ROJAS (RED BEANS, DOMINICAN STYLE)

Steps:

• Rinse the beans thoroughly and pick out any foreign matter. Place in a bowl and cover with 6 cups of cold water; let sit overnight. (Alternatively, place the beans in a saucepan with 6 cups of cold water and boil for 2 minutes; set aside for 1 hour.)
• Drain the beans and place in a large saucepan with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil and simmer at medium heat until the beans are tender, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
• Meanwhile, make a sofritoor paste. In a skillet, heat the olive oil and the bacon until the fat is rendered. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and tomatoes and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the vegetables are soft. Add the diluted tomato paste and the bouquet garni. Cook for 5 minutes.
• Add the paste to the beans and cook, stirring, for 15 minutes. Add salt to taste, vinegar, oregano and hot pepper and cook an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until the beans are very creamy.

DOMINICAN BEAN STEW / HABICHUELAS ROJAS GUISADAS

Steps:

• Do-ahead tip: Buy a small bag of uncooked beans and put half of the bag in a large pot, fill with water almost to the top, simmer over medium-low heat for 3-4 hours or test for doneness (hold one between your fingers and squeeze, if it easily mashes without much pressure they're done.) Don't drain and you can keep them in a tightly sealed container for up to 2 days or you can freeze them for up to a month and thaw completely before using. These taste so much better than the canned ones but it's not going to hurt if you use those for a shortcut. If you are using canned beans it should be 2 cans.
• In a pot heat the oil. Add oregano, onion, garlic, tomato paste, peppers, salt and herbs. Stir and add two tablespoons of water. Add the beans and simmer. When the water has almost evaporated add the chicken stock, cilantro and two more tablespoons of water, stir.
• Add the remaining water mashing the beans over heat. Boil at medium heat until it reaches a creamy consistency. Remove cilantro before serving. Adjust salt to taste.
• Serve over white rice.