Black Beans

Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 medium onions, minced
• 8 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 lb black beans, rinsed
• 12 cups water
• 1 large smoked ham hock, rinsed (any lamb or ham bone works fine)
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 cup chopped parsley (, or cilantro)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• ground black pepper
• 1 lb left over smoked ham (optional) or 1 lb left over smoked lamb, diced (optional)
• 6 cups cooked rice

Recipe

• 1 over medium heat, in a heavy kettle or dutch oven, sauté onions in oil till soft and transparent.
• 2 add garlic and sauté till fragrant and lightly browned.
• 3 add more oil as necessary.
• 4 add water, beans, ham hock (or bone) bay leaves, parsley, salt and cumin.
• 5 bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
• 6 skim surface as required.
• 7 reduce heat to low and simmer, partially covered for about two hours, or until several beans test tender (add more water if cooking liquid reduces to level of beans).
• 8 remove ham hock from beans.
• 9 if beans are still watery you can continue to simmer or use an immersion blender or the back of a large spoon to puree some of the beans.
• 10 dice optional meat and put into beans.
• 11 (if using country ham leave salt out of beans) adjust seasoning.
• 12 prepare rice as directed.
• 13 when cool enough to handle, remove ham from hock, discard bone and skin, and cut meat into bite-size pieces; set aside.
• 14 serve beans over rice with a couple chunks of the hock meat on top.
• 15 garnish with more chopped parsley.
• 16 note, i have cilantro as an option as it does have a very strong, distinct, taste that some people do not like.