My new food obsession over this summer has definitely been DOMINICAN cuisine. If you’ve never had it before, please put it on your bucket list. Now I’m no stranger to Dominican food, and I’m convinced that it’s my Caribbean heritage that makes me crave things like stewed oxtails and rice and beans. We’ve been to the new Dominican place down the road at least 8 times since we’ve been in Atlanta this summer. You’ve seen some of the evidence.
Well last night for dinner I made my pollo en fricase for the family and I figured while I was at it that I would try my hand at perfecting the Dominican habichuelas guisadas (stewed beans) to go with the meal. The combination of the saucy red beans served alongside fluffy white rice is a classic known as arroz con habichuelas. I’ve done my fair share of cooking with Dominican flavors and so I thought the beans would turn out pretty well, but I had no idea I would get it completely right on the first try! It was a great meal.
These beans, while they require a little time and patience, are well worth the effort you put into them. They’re easy to make and require no soaking and very little active cooking time on your part. If you’re a vegetarian or vegan you can leave out the hamhock, but if you’re not I would suggest using it because it adds a type of amazing flavor that you can’t get from anywhere else. But where they really get the flavor that knocks them out of the park is the homemade sofrito, which I make using this easy recipe. These would be delicious on brown rice, but my Atlanta family is not down with brown things so we stuck with the traditional combo. Simply delicioso.
Habichuelas Rojas Guisadas
by
Cook Time: 4 hours
Keywords: side beans Caribbean
Ingredients (serves 10-12)
- 1 smoked hamhock
- 8 c. water
- 1 bag (1 lb.) small red beans
- 1/4 c. sofrito
- 1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
- 1/2 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 T. salt
- 1 packet Goya sazon (optional)
Instructions
In a large pot, heat the hamhock and water over medium-high heat until boiling. Keep at a full boil with the top on for about 30 minutes.
Rinse the red beans and add them to the boiling water. Reduce heat to medium and boil with the top on for about 1 hour. When the beans just start to soften to the touch, add in the remaining ingredients and stir well.
Continue to boil for about another 2 hours, or until the beans are very tender. If you want to really let the flavors develop more, turn the heat down to low and continue to stew for another 30 minutes-1 hour. The longer it stews the better it tastes!
Serve hot.
Aside from the sodium factor coming from the pork, these are actually a really healthy way to get some protein in! I’m really into protein. And delicious food.
Thanks for reading!
-Lauren
Sarah @ The Smart Kitchen
One of my favorite things about learning the cultures and foodways of the hundreds of Hispancic communities/countries is that–much like many cultures in the world–they all take something basic and simple (rice and beans) and put such a distinct spin on it. What’s ‘right’ in Costa Rica is different in Nicaragua. And completely different from Mexico. Etc. Etc.
These look delicious. 🙂