Recipe: Cuban Style Black Beans and Sofrito

CUBAN STYLE BLACK BEANS

1/3 cup sofrito (recipe follows)
3 cans (15-16 ounces each) black beans, rinsed, drained
3/4 cup canned vegetable broth
1 1/2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon sugar

Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium heat. Add the sofrito and saute for about 5 minutes.

Add 1 cup of beans to pan. Using back of a fork or a potato masher, mash beans coarsely. Add remaining beans, broth, vinegar, cumin, oregano and simmer until mixture thickens and flavors blend, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.

Mix in sugar and season beans to taste with salt and pepper and serve.

CUBAN SOFRITO

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
2 bay leaves
2 tomatoes, chopped (optional)
3/4 cups canned tomato sauce

Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and garlic, and cook until onion is translucent.

Add the bell pepper, and saute until tender. Season with salt, pepper, cumin, oregano and bay leaves. Continue cooking until the mixture looks like a yummy green paste with oil around it.

Stir in the tomatoes, if using, and cook, stirring until all of the liquid is released. Gradually stir in the tomato sauce and simmer until the sauce looks really red. Taste, and adjust seasonings if desired. Remove bay leaves.

Makes 8 to 10 servings
From Sur La Table
Source: Diane Peterson, NYT Regional Media Group, June 27, 2007