One of my all-time favorite “I could eat this everyday” meals is black beans and rice. Hugely popular throughout the Caribbean and Latin America, it is one of those simple-to-make dishes that still has incredible flavor. Throw in some slow cooked pork, cilantro-lime sour cream, and your favorite bottle of hot sauce, and this recipe can make even Hoosier country feel like an island paradi… well, let’s not get carried away.

From Wikipedia:

While simple, the dish is very nutritious. Rice is rich in starch, an excellent source of energy. Rice also has iron, vitamin B and protein. Beans are also protein-rich, and contain a good amount of iron and other necessary minerals, and both offer an important and basic kind of protein. Rice and beans together create a complete protein not available in either ingredient alone.

…and if it’s on Wikipedia, it HAS to be true.

In all reality, beans and rice are the quintessential “recession proof” foods. It’s not only cheap to make (less than $1.00 per serving for this recipe) but also incredibly good for you. So grab a cold Kalik, throw a big pot on the stove, and enjoy this island favorite.

What you need:

1-Package Hurst’s® HamBeens® Spanish-American Black Bean Soup

1- Cup diced yellow onion

1- Cup diced carrot

1- Cup diced celery

1- Cup diced green pepper

1lbs. Pork chop

3-4 Cloves crushed garlic

1-Tablespoon fresh cilantro

1-2 Bay Leaves

(Optional)

1/2 Cup sour cream

3-Teaspoon lime juice

Hot sauce

1. Place the dry beans in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water. Check for any unwanted debris and discard. If time permits, place the beans in a large bowl and cover with 1″ water. Let soak for at least a few hours. (If you don’t have time for soaking, just increase the cooking time.)

Prepare the fresh vegetables. Dice each into 1/4″ size pieces, then place in a large soup pot with enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pot.

3. Over Med-High heat, saute the vegetables until the onions become translucent and the others become slightly tender. Add the crushed garlic cloves in the last few minutes of cooking. Once the vegetables are ready add 7 cups of H20, black beans, pork chop, and bay leaf. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and simmer (covered) for about 3 hours. Stir occasionally.

4. After a couple hours, the pork should be fork tender. Remove the pieces from the pot and once cool enough to touch, chop/pull into bite sized pieces. Once finished, add back to the pot for the remainder of the cooking time.

5. After 3 hours, the black beans should be completely tender (if not continue to cook, check every 15 minutes or so until done). Remove the lid and stir in Hurst’s Black Bean Seasoning package.

6. Add all but a small pinch of the fresh cilantro to the pot and stir to combine. Allow the beans to simmer uncovered while you prepare the rice and cilantro-lime sour cream* (recipe below). This should help reduce some of the liquid and thicken the mixture.

7. Serve black beans over a long grain rice with a dollop of the sour cream and your favorite hot sauce (or jalapenos!).

Enjoy!

*Cilantro-Lime Sour Cream:

Just as it sounds… Mix remaining cilantro and lime juice into some store-bought sour cream. Incredibly easy and gives a delicious citrus flavor that cuts through the richness of the black beans.

We get a lot of inquiries about how to use our beans other than in soup recipes. One of my personal favorites, especially during the warm summer months, is this cold black bean and corn salad. With just a few simple ingredients, it can be the perfect appetizer or side item at your next Mexican fiesta.

What you need:

• 1- package Hurst Black Beans (save the seasoning packet for another time)

• 1- Cup chopped red onion
• 1- Can diced green chilies
• 1- Can corn (drained)
• 1- Tablespoon (or more) of hot sauce
• 1- Clove minced garlic (not pictured)
• 1- Tbs. chopped fresh cilantro
• Juice from 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse and sort through the black beans, checking for any debris that may be present. Soak the beans in a large bowl of water overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and place into a large soup pot with 2 quarts (8 cups) of fresh water.

2. Bring the beans to a rolling boil, then reduce the heat and let simmer for 2.5 hours, stirring occasionally. If too much liquid evaporates before they are fully cooked, just add more water as necessary.

3. While the beans are cooking, prepare the other ingredients. Chop 1 cup of red onion (usually 1/2 of a large onion), mince the garlic, cut the lime in half, and give the cilantro a rough chop. To save time later, you can open both the can of corn (drain) and also the can of diced green chilies.

4. Once the beans are fully cooked (tender but not mushy), place them in a colander or sieve and rinse with cold water.

5. Place all ingredients into a large bowl and mix well. Cover with plastic wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes (can be left overnight).

6. Serve with tortilla chips and a cold Mexican beer… ENJOY!

*Note: Many of the recipes online call for canned beans… while that might work well for time constraints, the final product just has a better flavor and texture when using dried beans.