Tailgating With Chefhoo 2013: Miami

South Florida is a phenomenal mélange of Caribbean and Latin cultures. Walking through the city, you can almost feel the palpable energy of a city that thrives on its diversity. As the days turn shorter and the temperatures plummet, it’s good to add a little spice to your cooking. Here’s a one pot meal that provides a great introduction to the flavors of Miami.

A number of cuisines feature rice dishes. Spain has paella, Louisiana has jambalaya as well as red beans and rice, the Chinese fry their rice, and Cubans have a number of variations of black beans and rice. Add some tender, succulent pork and you have a true Cuban delight.

Cuban Black Beans and Rice with Braised Pork

Ingredients

• 2 cups black beans
• 2 onions, diced
• 2 green peppers, diced
• 1 hot pepper, minced or 1/2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 2 cups long grain rice (rinsed under running water until the water runs clear)
• 1 can tomatoes, drained
• 2 pounds boneless country ribs, cut into 2-inch cubes
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf
• Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

Time to Cook

Soak the black beans in 1 quart of water overnight and drain. In a Dutch oven or oven-proof heavy bottom skillet, add 1/2 of the onions and 1/2 of the green peppers to the beans and cover with 1 quart of water. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to simmer and simmer covered for about an hour or until the beans are tender, but not falling apart. Drain and discard water.

Season pork well with salt and pepper and preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Add 1 teaspoon of the cumin and the paprika to the pork and rub the spices into the pork thoroughly. Heat the Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add 2 teaspoons of the olive oil. Sear the pork on all sides, being careful not to burn the pork. Remove the pork and add the remaining onions and pepper(s). Sauté for 3 minutes and add the garlic. Sauté for one minute. Add the pork, tomatoes, black beans, rice, remaining cumin and the oregano. Sauté for 3 minutes, scraping any remaining brown bits from the bottom of the pan (from the seared pork).

Be careful that the rice doesn’t stick. You want the rice to sauté until the rice kernels begin to turn clear. Add the chicken broth and bay leaf and bring to a boil.

At this point, you want to season with salt, pepper, cumin and hot sauce. The mixture should be very well seasoned, understanding that the rice will absorb a lot of the flavor. Stir one last time, cover and place in the oven for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit covered for 10 minutes.

Lightly fluff the rice with a fork and serve.