Caribbean Black Beans (Frijoles Negros)

As part of my Puerto Rican-themed Purim spread, I made black beans for the protein.  Time consuming, yes, but 95% of that time is passive.

The key to Eastern Caribbean beans is to season at the beginning, then cook them forever.  A crock pot, pressure cooker, or InstaPot can make this easier.  Lacking any of those, this dish spent six hours in the oven at 225º.  But hey, good things come to those who wait.

Sofrito is just a fancy word for Caribbean pesto.  You whiz up some herbs with a little oil, lime juice, and bell peppers.  Red sofrito includes a tomato.  I subbed a tomatillo for the pepper because I already gave myself one asthma attack this month.  In my defense, it was a really good steak and I could have scraped off the spicy pepper sauce or asked for it on the side.

Don't be daunted by the insane number of ingredients.  Most of it goes in the blender right off the bat for the sofrito.  The only stand-alones are the beans, some onion, some garlic, and the bay leaf.

1-1/2 C dry black beans
1/2 C diced onion, divided
3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
1 Tb olive oil
1 large tomatillo or small green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
*1/2 tsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste
*1/4 C cilantro leaves
*2 Tb parsley leaves
juice and zest of 1 lime
*1 Tb white wine vinegar
*1 bay leaf

1.  The night before, sort beans and soak in 5 cups water in a casserole with a lid.  I love the minute the dry beans hit the bottom of the pot.  They're like little black pearls.

2.  6-8 hours before mealtime, drain the beans and let them hang out in the strainer while you prep the rest of the casserole.

3.  In a blender or food processor, combine oil, 2 Tb of the onion, the chopped tomatillo, one clove garlic, cumin, oregano, cilantro, parsley, lime zest and juice, and white wine vinegar into a chunky sauce.  Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

4.  Start preheating the oven to 225º and boil 3 cups of water.  Into the casserole, place remaining diced onion and garlic, the sofrito, the soaked beans, and the bay leaf.  Pour over boiling water to cover and place lid on dish.

5.  Bake for at least 6 hours, stirring every 2 and adding water as necessary.  Taste liquid at every stir to see if more salt or pepper is needed.  If desired, remove a cup of the beans and purée or mash and return to the pot.  Serve hot, and it's even better the next day as leftovers.  You can even thin it out with stock into a black bean soup.

Serves 4-6 as a main dish, 10 as a side

Difficulty rating  :)