Frijoles Negros (Cuban Style Black Beans) - Fred Whitlock, The Good Gourmet staff

This famous Cuban dish dates back to the 19th century.  This particular recipe is quite authentic because it was prepared this way in my Cuban grandmother's kitchen 100 years ago.  My mother passed it on to me.  It makes a very large amount of food because it is based on using a standard 2 lb. bag of black turtle beans.  I normally divide it into 4 batches and freeze the batches.   They are even tastier after being frozen and reheated and each batch will feed 4 easily or 6 more modestly.  This is a very healthy dish - high in protein, low in fat with no cholesterol at all.  Use hard beans, don't buy the canned variety.  Canned beans are fine for soup but not for frijoles negros.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. black turtle beans, rinsed
6 medium yellow onions, chopped coarsely
1 large head of garlic, cloves minced
2 large green bell peppers, chopped coarsely
2 7.5 oz. jars of whole pimiento, chopped coarsely
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 large bay leaves
1/4 cup salt

In a stock pot (8 qt. works fine) put the black beans and cover with about  4 times the volume of water to beans and allow to soak overnight.

The following day pour off enough water from the stock pot so that the beans are covered by only a 1/2 inch or so.  Don't replace the water.  It will be black in color and adds to the taste of the dish.  Add the bay leaves and 1/2 the salt and start the beans boiling.  Reduce heat to simmer when they begin boiling.

Put the onions, garlic, bell peppers, pimientos (including the liquid in which they are packed,) and olive oil in a large saute pan and cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or so until onions and peppers are soft and the flavors mixed.  

Pour contents of saute pan into the stock pot of beans and simmer for 3 to 4 hours, stirring occasionally.  Taste and add salt as needed at some point during the cooking process.  Serve over cooked long grain rice.  Serves 16 to 20.

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