Ingredients Beans + Legumes Black Bean Cuban-Style Black Beans 5.0 (2) 2 Reviews If you use a regular heavy pot, soak the beans overnight, then simmer until nearly tender before adding the onion and pepper mixture. By Romulo Yanes Romulo Yanes The late Rómulo Yanes was a celebrated Cuban-born photographer who specialized in what The New York Times described as “capturing the natural beauty of food.” His award-winning visual artistry graced the covers and editorial pages of Gourmet magazine for over 25 years. In addition to Food & Wine, Yanes’ photography appeared in such publications as Martha Stewart Living, Cooking Light, GQ, and Health. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on February 5, 2023 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Active Time: 30 mins Total Time: 1 hrs 30 mins Yield: 8 servings Jump to recipe "I would love to have your mom's cooking at my birthday," my partner, Rob, said to me last fall. He always loved certain dishes that she made, especially her beans and rice. My mother had passed away earlier that year, in June. This would be the first time cooking her recipes without her. I grew up in Cuba with my mom's cooking. Later, when we lived in the U.S., we would cook together whenever she visited from Florida. But neither of us wrote anything down. Nevertheless, I took the challenge on. There was a freshness in my mom's cooking. It was homely and not overly fussy. Her black beans are a perfect example. They begin by simply cooking dried black beans with onion, green pepper, and bay leaf in a pressure cooker, which makes quick work of dried beans, infusing them with flavor while turning them very tender and soft. She would then make sofrito: garlic, onions, and green pepper gently cooked for a long time in olive oil. She would add the sofrito to the beans, which enriched the cooking liquid and gave them a mellow flavor that didn't hit you over the head and really went well with everything else she served them with — the toasted rice, the sweet fried plantains, the <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/boiled-yuca-garlicky-onions">boiled yuca</a>, and the tender shredded beef of the ropa vieja. She served an achingly sweet <a href="https://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/burnt-caramel-flan">caramel flan</a> for dessert. And for me, all of these things together made the perfect meal. And so I did cook my mother's recipes for 30 people on Rob's birthday. I've made a career out of being a professional food photographer, and when I was making her recipes, there was a moment when I thought, <i>Let me add the yellow and red peppers instead of the green, for color. </i>But you know what? That's not the food that I remember. I started embracing the brown colors and tones and the earthy richness of each element. I wanted the beans to look and taste as they did when I grew up eating them. And so they did, and the meal was a huge success and a perfect tribute to her. I hope you enjoy this dish as much as I still do. A pressure cooker speeds everything up, but is not essential. Ingredients 1 pound dried black beans, rinsed and drained 2 medium white onions, halved lengthwise 2 medium green bell peppers, halved 4 bay leaves, divided 8 cups cold water 3 garlic cloves 1 tablespoon kosher salt, divided 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided 1/4 cup dry white wine 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano 1 teaspoon tomato paste 1 teaspoon ground black pepper Chopped cilantro (optional) Lime wedges (optional) Directions Combine black beans, 1 onion half, 1 bell pepper half, 2 bay leaves, and 8 cups cold water in a pressure cooker. Lock lid into place and set pressure to HIGH (15 pounds); bring up to pressure over high heat. When pressurized, reduce heat to medium and cook 15 minutes. Remove from heat, release pressure, and let stand until pressure is completely released. Remove lid. Discard onion, bell pepper, and bay leaves. Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion and bell pepper halves. Smash garlic on cutting board with flat side of a chef’s knife. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt, then rub salt into garlic with the knife to form a paste. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a large skillet over medium. Add chopped onions, chopped bell peppers, and garlic-salt paste. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in remaining 2 bay leaves, wine, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste. Cook, stirring, until tomato paste is incorporated and wine has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Place uncovered pressure cooker over medium heat. Stir in onion-bell pepper mixture; season with black pepper and remaining 2 teaspoons salt. Simmer until beans are cooked through, about 30 minutes. Drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve black beans with cilantro and lime wedges, if desired, and season to taste. Romulo Yanes Rate it Print