National Bean Day | Cuban Black Beans
You know what one of the best things in the world is? Having your entire house become consumed by the scent of whatever dish you’re making. Some of my favorite things to make are probably my favorite because of this, with these beans being one of them.
These black beans also remind me of Christmas. I’m part Cuban so I’ve been fortunate to grow up with many foods from the culture. On Christmas Eve, we have roast pork, black beans and rice, and yucca, in addition to appetizers, a salad and dessert.
My Aunt Shirley has been tasked with these black beans every Christmas Eve for as far back as I can remember, and maybe even before I was born. To find a better tasting pot of beans is near impossible.
Aunt Shirley also makes some of the best dishes. Staples in my family, if you will, but she comes from the ‘little bit of this, little bit of that’ way of cooking so there is not an exact recipe that I can share with all of you. This dish is very much made to taste. All I know is to season little by little until you get it exactly how you want it. You should be sure to add a lot of oregano. Use extra vinegar if you are a vinegar lover like I am.
When plating, I sprinkle with dried oregano and top with sliced pickled banana peppers. Sometimes I’ll just top with chopped white onion and chow down.
This recipe is dedicated to Aunt Shirley. I’m excited to learn more recipes from your wonderful, wonderful arsenal.
- 16oz bag of uncooked black beans
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 onion, cut into large pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, diced
- 1 green pepper, cut into large pieces
- 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
- 2 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp
- Oregano
- White vinegar
- Ground cumin
- Clean beans well and pour into large pot, covering the beans with water, and set to boil.
- When beans boil, add bay leaves, 1/2 the onion, 1/2 the garlic, 1/2 the green pepper and 2 hot peppers. Let cook.
- When almost completely cooked, saute the remaining onion, garlic and green pepper in 2 tbsp olive oil until translucent, then add to beans.
- Add cumin, oregano, white vinegar and 1 tbsp olive oil to taste and cook until beans are tender.
DID YOU KNOW: National Bean Day is thought to take place on this day to commemorate the death of renown geneticist Gregor Mendel who used bean plants to test the theories he had on inheritance.
Tomorrow: National Tempura Day
Thanks for the recipe! My boys and I actually just got a book from the library about Gregor Mendel and his bean plants. I’ll be pinning this recipe for sure.
Oh how cool! Perfect timing with Bean Day. 🙂
I didn’t know the Mendelian connection to bean day, although it makes perfect sense.
That it does! 🙂
These look SO awesome. I’ve always been a big fan of cooking…and of course eating black beans! I’ve never thought to put Oregano in mine though (Mexican oregano or Italian?) and instead of white vinegar, I usually just use a bunch of hot sauce…lol…you know I love my food spicy! I like this recipe though…and I’m totally with you on the whole “little bit of this…little bit of that” with most “recipes.” Awesome post…per usual Jen!
Thank you, thank you! I use Italian oregano for these, but I’m sure Mexican oregano would be really great too. I just happen to always have Italian on hand. If I don’t go through this labor for beans, I just whip some up and put tons of hot sauce on it..mmmm. Love the spice. These end up having a kick because of the jalapeno and vinegar, and also, if it’s just me and Mike, I double the number of jalapenos.
This looks so good! I love beans in every form over rice. Pinning and sharing with the SGBC family
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Thank you!!
I love how you added banana peppers to the beans!
Oh yeah, I LOVE the smell of simmering black beans. I actually made a black bean soup for client recipe testing a few weeks back. Our house smelled GREAT for days, but unfortunately, the soup didn’t taste nearly as flavorful as it smelled. Oh well, wasn’t my recipe. But ever since then, I’ve been craving a black bean dish that actually tastes as good as that made my house smell. I’m trying your recipe, and I know it won’t let me down!
Oh, I know what you mean! When you are making fresh beans, more seasoning is involved. I taste my black beans throughout the day so I know if I need to add more spices or flavorings. I typically add more vinegar and jalapenos. Let me know what you think of the recipe!
[…] food holiday calendar, I immediately knew what I would make. As I mentioned before for the Cuban Black Beans post, my Aunt Shirley…whoo!…one of the best cooks ever. I’m very happy to be […]
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