Moros y Cristianos (Cuban Black Beans and Rice)

Moro y cristianos means “Moors and Christians.” "Moors" refers to the black beans and "Christians" to the rice. The name of the dish is likely a reference by early Cuban settlers to the Islamic Conquest of Spain and subsequent Reconquista which both had a profound effect on the Spanish culture and language.

A few women in the Springfield, IL area started getting together once a month to cook. One month, Izabela (my dear Polish friend who married into a Cuban family) taught us how to make black beans and rice. While there are apparently as many Moros y Cristianos recipes as there are Cuban families, this particular recipe comes from Three Guys from Miami.

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups black beans, dried

1/4 cup olive oil for sautéing

2 & 1/2 cups onion, diced

2 & 1/2 cups green pepper, seeded and diced

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

3 teaspoons cumin, ground

1 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons tomato paste

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

4 &1/2 cups chicken stock

3 cups long grain white rice

1. Cover the dry beans with about four cups water in a two-quart saucepan. DON'T add any salt yet! Bring to a boil, and boil for three minutes. Remove from the heat and let it stand, covered for one hour.
2. Drain and rinse the beans. Add enough water to cover once again and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low, cover and cook until tender, about 40 to 50 minutes. Drain.
3. Rinse the rice with cold water until the water runs clear.
4. Use a large, eight-quart covered stockpot. (NOTE: This is the size pan the recipe calls for, but it appears to be a much bigger pan than needed.) Sauté the onion and green pepper in the olive oil until tender. Add the garlic and sauté another minute or two. Add the tomato paste, black beans, oregano, cumin, bay leaf, and vinegar. Cook for about five minutes, stirring gently.
5. Add the chicken stock and the rinsed rice. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for about 20-30 minutes – until the rice is fully cooked.
6. Finally, adjust the seasonings by adding salt and pepper to taste. Remove the bay leaf. Serve Hot.
7. For an added treat: Drizzle some olive oil (don't be stingy!) over the rice in the pot, and fluff cooked rice gently with a fork.
8. If plating the rice as a side dish, drizzle a little olive oil over individual servings and garnish with some parsley or cilantro.