Red Beans And Rice Moors And Christians Moros Y Cristianos Food

MOORS AND CHRISTIANS (MOROS Y CRISTIANOS)

Steps:

• Cooking the Beans
• Rinse and pick over the beans. Place in a medium heavy-bottomed pot with 2 1/2 quarts water, the onion, bell pepper, ajíes or cubanelle pepper, and the ham hock, if using, and bring to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are tender but still retain their shape, about 2 hours. Drain, reserving 4 cups of the cooking liquid. Discard the vegetables and ham hock; you should have 2 cups cooked beans.
• Finishing the Dish
• Place the rice in a medium bowl, cover with cold tap water, and swirl the rice, then drain, holding the rice in place with one hand. Repeat the process as many times as necessary until the water runs clear. Drain well in a sieve or strainer. Heat the oil in the heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and sauté until golden, about 3 minutes. Add the onion, green pepper, cumin, oregano, and bay leaf and sauté until the onion is soft, about 5 minutes.
• Add the rice and stir to coat thoroughly. Add the beans and the reserved bean cooking liquid, then add the vinegar, sherry, and salt. Mix well and taste for seasoning; add a dash more of sherry, vinegar, and/or spices if needed. The cooking liquid should be flavorful. Cook, uncovered, until most of the liquid is absorbed and small craters have formed on the surface of the rice. Fluff the rice slightly with a kitchen fork, reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, and cook, tightly covered, for 20 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and let stand, uncovered, for at least 10 minutes before serving.

RICE AND BEANS: MOROS Y CRISTIANOS (ARROZ CON HABICHUELAS)

Steps:

• Cover the dry beans with water in a large pot. Do not salt the water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook until tender, about 1 hour.
• Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear.
• Use a large, 8-quart covered stockpot. Heat the olive oil and saute the onion and green pepper until tender. Add the garlic and sofrito and saute another 1 to 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste, black beans, oregano, cumin and bay leaf. Cook for about 5 minutes, stirring gently.
• Add the chicken stock and the rinsed rice. Season with plenty of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked.

MOORS AND CHRISTIANS RICE (WHITE RICE AND BLACK BEANS): MOROS Y CRISTIANOS

Steps:

• Cooking the beans: Wash the beans and cook in a large kettle with the peeled whole onion, the cachucha peppers, and the cored and seeded green pepper. Cook over moderate heat until the beans are tender, about 2 hours. Make sure the beans retain their shape; do not overcook. Drain and reserve 4 cups of the cooking liquid and 2 cups of cooked beans. Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear, drain, and set aside.
• Cooking the rice and beans: In a heavy-bottomed 4-quart pot, heat the oil over medium heat and saute the diced bacon until golden brown. Add the onion, green pepper, cumin, oregano and bay leaf. Saute, stirring for 1 minute. Add the rice and stir until all the grains are coated with oil and bacon grease. Add the reserved 2 cups of beans and the 4 cups cooking liquid, then add vinegar, sherry, and salt. Mix well, taste, and correct seasonings. Cook uncovered until all the liquid evaporates, you will see small air bubbles forming on the surface of the rice. Fluff the rice slightly with a kitchen fork. Cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and let stand, uncovered, at least 2 to 3 minutes before serving.

MOROS Y CRISTIANOS (CUBAN BLACK BEANS AND RICE)

Steps:

• Heat oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add bell pepper, onion, and garlic; cook and stir until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in crushed tomatoes and vinegar. Add cumin, salt, thyme, pepper flakes, and bay leaf. Cook for 3 minutes.
• Add black beans, then stir in white rice. Pour in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer until rice is tender and all liquid has been absorbed, about 25 minutes; do not lift the cover during the cook time.

MOROS Y CRISTIANOS (CUBAN RICE AND BEANS)

Steps:

• Heat oil in pan and saute onion and garlic for 2 minutes.
• Add tomato sauce and broth and bring to boil.
• Add next six ingredients (beans through bay leaf) and bring to boil.
• Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Discard bay leaf before serving; serve over rice with bell peppers and parmesan cheese, if desired.