Puerto Rican Rice And Beans (Arroz Con Habichuelas)
The recipe is very flexible in the type of chiles used. Blend a couple of types for complexity. The dish is also great for splashing on your favorite hot sauce too. You can also add beer instead of water when things are looking a bit too dry. It also can be fun to mix in a few different types of beans, like black beans and pintos. It isn’t a requirement to use a pressure cooker, but it is fast and the flavor from the ham hock to the beans is greater. From: the First Bay Area Chile Heads HotLuck
4 cups water
8 ounces smoked ham hock
1 cup dried pinto beans
1 cup uncooked long grain white rice
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 dash sesame oil
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, smash and chop
1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 (15 ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes, drain reserve juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons capers
Place the water and ham hock in a pressure cooker, check to make sure the steam release holes are clear and cook for 5 minutes.
Add the pinto beans and cook 20 minutes more.
Add the rice, and when the pressure cooker"hisses," cook for another 5 minutes.
While the rice and beans cook, heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
Add the red pepper, jalapeno peppers, oregano and tomatoes, stirring and chopping as you go.
Add 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato juice, half of the salt and half of the pepper.
Lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
After the rice and beans have cooked, remove the ham hock, slice off 2 ounces of lean meat and reserve.
Add the cooked rice and beans to the pepper-tomato mixture in the skillet.
Stir in the reserved ham hock meat, 2 Tbs of the cilantro, the capers and the remaining salt and pepper.
To serve: Spoon into bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro.