Arroz Congrí
A hearty eastern Cuban rice dish with red beans, pork and a fragrant sofrito, all cooked together in a rich bean broth.
Ingredients
- red kidney beans300 g
- water1500 ml
- pork250 g
- lard60 g
- onion1 pcs
- garlic3 cloves
- bell pepper1 pcs
- cilantro15 g
- oregano1 tsp
- cumin1 tsp
- long-grain rice300 g
- salt1 to taste
- black pepper1 to taste
Instructions
Rinse the red beans, cover with 1000 ml of water and leave to soak for 8–12 hours.
Drain the water, cover the beans with the remaining 500 ml of fresh water and cook for 50–60 minutes, until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Set aside 400 g of beans and measure out 600 ml of the cooking liquid.
Dice the pork and fry it in 30 g of lard over medium heat for 6–8 minutes, until browned and rendering some fat. Add the remaining lard along with finely chopped onion, garlic, bell pepper and cilantro; cook for 5 minutes until the vegetables soften.
Add the oregano, cumin, salt and black pepper, stir well, add the reserved beans and sauté for 2–3 minutes to let the spices bloom.
Add the rinsed long-grain rice, stir into the base and heat through for 2 minutes. Pour in the 600 ml of hot bean broth and bring to a boil.
Cover the pot with a lid, reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook for 18–20 minutes without stirring, until the rice has absorbed the broth and turned fluffy.
Remove from the heat, fluff the rice with a fork and let it rest, partially covered, for 10 minutes; serve hot.
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