Colombian-style Beans and Rice Recipe
Regional cuisine from Central and South America.

[Photograph: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt]
Read more: Latin American Cuisine: Colombian Style Beans and Rice (With the Works!)
- Yield:serves 6 to 8
- Active time: 1 hour
- Total time:1 day
Ingredients
- 1 pound large dried red beans (kidney beans work fine)
- Kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound pork belly, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped (about 2 cups)
- 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 4 cups cooked white rice
- To Serve (all optional):
- Sliced Avocado
- Fried sweet or starchy plantains
- Chicharrones
- Fried Eggs
- Grilled skirt steak
- Ají
Directions
-
1.
Place beans in a large bowl and add 2 tablespoons salt. Cover with cold water by 6 inches and allow to sit at room temperature overnight. If using a pressure cooker, this step can be skipped.
-
2.
The next day, drain beans and set aside. Heat oil in a large heavy-bottomed saucepan or pressure cooker over high heat until shimmering. Add pork belly and cook, stirring occasionally, until well-browned and crisped on all sides, about 10 minutes total. Add tomatoes and onions and cook, stirring frequently until softened, about 3 minutes.
-
3.
Add beans, sugar, and 1 tablespoon salt. Cover with water by 2 to 3 inches and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally and adding water as necessary, until beans are completely softened and liquid is thickened but still soupy, about 3 hours. (If using a pressure cooker, cook on high pressure until beans are tender, about 45 minutes).
-
4.
Season beans to taste with more salt and sugar and serve with cooked rice, avocado, plantains, fried eggs, steak, and ají as desired.
This Recipe Appears In
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