How to make authentic Cuban black beans and rice (Cuban Style)

Cooking has always been therapeutic for me. At first, I learned by watching my mom, and then my father taught me the basics of what cooking is all about. From the moment I knew the basics, I started to experiment with different styles of cooking but the Cuban cuisine with its deep route in me has dragged me back for more.

Although I learned cooking from my father for Cuban-style dishes, I had always gone to my mother who was half Cuban. And today I want to share a recipe she helped me perfect. How to make authentic Cuban black beans and rice (Cuban Style).

Let us find out how to make Arroz moro

How to make Cuban rice and beans

For this dish, I will not be using canned beans. So you would need to soak the beans overnight to get the best flavors out of the beans.

Prep time 8 hours

Cook time 2 hours

Total time 10 hours

Ingredients

• 1 pound of dried black beans
• 6 cups of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 large green bell peppers, diced
• 2 large Spanish onions, diced
• 6 cloves of garlic, minced
• ¼ cup of extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 dry Spanish chorizo sausages, diced
• 4 cups of parboiled long-grain white rice
• 1 tablespoon of cumin
• 1 tablespoon of adobo all-purpose seasoning
• 1 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Salt according to your taste.

Directions

Step #1

You need to clean the beans before anything. So clean out any pebbles in the bag and then put them under the water in a strainer. Put your hands through them to make sure it is properly cleaned.

Step #2

When soaking the beans, add the black beans to the pot and fill it with water and it should be an inch more than the beans. Bring the water to a boil and then put the lid on. Let it soak overnight.

Step #3

The next day, before cooking, bring the water back to a boil. When the water is all boiled up bring the heat to medium then add the bay leaf and put the lid back on.

Step #4

In another pot heat the olive oil on medium heat, and saute the bell peppers, onions, and garlic cloves. Once they start to become semi-transparent add the chorizo.

Step #5

Don’t let the vegetables go brown but let the chorizo go brown and then add in the rice and keep stirring.

Step #6

Mix the veggies, rice, and chorizo thoroughly, and when the rice is well coated in the oil add the cumin and adobo. Keep stirring and mixing. When you are satisfied it’s completely mixed turn off the heat and let it sit.

Step #7

In about an hour to an hour and a half, the beans will be done cooking so you would need to turn off the heat. Let it sit, and cool down for 5 to 10 minutes.

Step #8

Time to drain the beans, starting with taking out the beans and saving the broth from the beans to be added with the rice and veggies. You would need to save at least 5-6 cups. If it is less than 6 cups then you would need to compensate for that and add extra water.

Step #9

After adding the broth to the rice you would need to turn the heat back on high and keep stirring while adding the beans in. Make sure to add the beans before they dry out without the broth.

Step #10

Keep on stirring until the water reaches a light boil. When this happens you would need to put the cover back on and bring the heat down to a simmer.

Step #11

When the rice has simmered for 20 minutes you would need to uncover and stir with a fork. Go all the way down checking if the rice and beans at the bottom have burned or not.

Step #12

After stirring cover it again for 5 minutes if you want your Arroz Morro to be dry. If not then you need to cut your time by 3 minutes to keep the dish wet.

Step #13

The last step before serving it hot, turning off the heat you would need to add cilantro and salt and then give all last stir so the salt is mixed properly.

You can have this side dish with main dishes like Pernil Asado or Pargo Escabeche which will bring out the true flavor of Arroz Moro.

Conclusion

In this article, I have given out the authentic Cuban black beans recipe, once you have gone Cuban you cannot turn back. If you follow the recipe to the letter then you will be to make rice with black beans at your home and won’t have to wait in line for hours to get some.

You can add or take out any of the ingredients you want to give this dish your twist. But I would recommend not using canned beans in your recipe.

Nutritional Facts:
Calories 253.8
Total Fat 3.1 g
Protein 6.1 g

FAQ

What other foods go well with black beans and rice?

You can have the black beans and rice on their own but if you want to add anything with it then I will recommend Mar Y Tierra (sirloin steak and large shrimps).

Can black beans and rice be reheated?

Yes, you can easily reheat this dish in a microwave.

Do you need to soak the beans before cooking?

The dry black beans need to be soaked overnight so it is soft and mushy when you eat. The process is written above in this article.