Arroz Congrí
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This popular Cuban dish goes by many different names, including Moros y Cristianos or just arroz moros. It’s a traditional dish of rice and black beans cooked together — not separately — versions of which are popular throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Although the ingredients for arroz congrí are simple, layers of flavor from smoky bacon, aromatic sofrito and spices infuse the rice as it cooks right with the beans for a deeply flavorful dish. It’s delicious and hearty enough to enjoy on its own but is often served with roasted or grilled meats — one of my favorite pairings is with grilled steak and maduros (sweet plantains). Included here is a recipe for making your own sofrito, the flavoring base that’s key to many Cuban and Latin dishes. Traditionally, congrí is made with a sofrito base of green bell peppers, onions and garlic, but I like to use Puerto Rican sofrito (recaíto) which includes culantro (recao) to show the versatility of this super-flavorful base. Make up a big batch and freeze the leftovers for later use.
Ingredients
Instructions
Cook the bacon in a medium Dutch oven or cast-aluminum caldero over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until most of the fat has rendered out and the bacon is crispy, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the Sofrito and cook off some of the moisture, about 2 minutes.
Add the rice, black beans with their liquid, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, bay leaf, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Pour 1/2 cup of water into the can from the beans and stir to dislodge any residual beans or starch from the can and add it to the pot. Add 1 1/2 cups more water. Stir once or twice just to combine (see Cook’s Note). Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot with a tightly fitting lid or a lid wrapped in aluminum foil. Cook undisturbed for 30 minutes.
Turn off the heat. Discard the bay leaf, fluff the rice with a large fork and serve.
Combine about half of the onions, ajicitos, bell peppers, garlic cloves, cilantro and culantro in a food processor and process until well combined and mostly smooth, about 20 seconds. Transfer the sofrito to a medium bowl and repeat with the remaining half of the ingredients. Stir both batches together until combined.
Use the sofrito immediately or store it in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can also pour it into ice cube trays and pop them in the freezer until solid; transfer the frozen cubes to a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 6 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 1 of 6 servings
- Calories
- 435
- Fat Content
- 8g
- Saturated Fat Content
- 3g
- Carbohydrate Content
- 77g
- Fiber Content
- 8g
- Sugar Content
- 4g
- Protein Content
- 14g
- Cholesterol Content
- 12mg
- Sodium Content
- 723mg
