Texas Goes to Cuba Beans

I love Cuban black beans, but my husband hails from Texas and loves pinto beans. Whenever I make beans and I don't include pintos, he gets that slightly disappointed look I call the boo-boo face. To make him happy and still make what I love, I made these beans for a barbecue and they were the hit of the meal.
Yield 10 servings
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups black beans
1 cup pinto beans
12 cups water (plus more for initial boil)
10 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (optional)
4 slices thick cut bacon, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 serrano chili pepper, minced
2 green bell peppers, chopped (divided use)
3 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon of sherry
1 tablespoon sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro


1 Place the beans in a large pot, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and set aside for 1 hour.
2 Drain the beans, then add the 12 cups water, bay leaf and peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.
3 Meanwhile, fry the bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. If the bacon is very lean, add a little olive oil. Reserve 1/2 cup bell pepper for later use. Add the onion, celery, remaining peppers and cook, stirring, until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin, oregano, and coriander and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute more. (If dry add a bit of oil.) Remove from heat, then add vinegar, scraping up brown bits.
4 When the beans have cooked for 1-1/2 hours, add the bacon mixture to the beans. Stir in brown sugar and continue simmering about 1 1/2 hours more. Beans should be tender.
5 10-15 minutes before the beans are done, add the sherry and the reserved bell pepper. Just before serving, season with the salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the cilantro.

notes
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