Cuban Food! Spicy Sweet Cinnamon Laced Picadillo & Traditional Cuban Black Beans

I tried my hand at making some Cuban food this last weekend, and it was a great success--not to mention delicious! Not only was the Picadillo (Cuban pork hash) dish easy to prepare it took less than a 1/2 hour to make from start to finish. I really appreciated the cinnamon spices in this recipe, as it is very forward.

The beans were excellent, with a bit of vinegar & spices added. Although they take a little more leg work. I'd recommend making a double batch and making burritos or huevos for breakfast later in the week! They are so good!


Picadillo (Cuban pork hash)
Serves 6-8

Ingredients

2 tbsp canola or olive oil
1 4" cinnamon stick
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1 tbsp ground cinnamon, halved
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/8 tsp ground cloves
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 lbs ground pork
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup green pimento-stuffed olives, sliced in half
1 28oz. can whole peeled fire roasted tomatoes, un-drained, crushed
1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar

Directions

1. Heat oil in a 12" cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add cinnamon stick, onions, and peppers; cook, stirring until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes. Add half the ground cinnamon, oregano, cloves, and garlic and cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes.

2. Add pork and cook breaking it up with a wooden spoon, until it browns, 8-10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper; add raisins, olives, and tomatoes.

3. Cook until liquid has evaporated (think hash), about 20 minutes. Stir in the remainder of the ground cinnamon, almonds and vinegar.

*Serve with warm tortillas, and Cuban black beans!


Frijoles Negros (Black Beans) Cuban Style
Makes 2 1/2 cups or serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 lb dried black beans
2 qts water
2/3 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
2 tsp powdered chicken/ham/vegetable boullion
1/4 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp whole dried oregano, crushed
2 tbsp sugar
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp dry wine (or I substituted lemon juice)
1 1/2 tbsp vinegar
1/2 cup chopped white onions, (mixed w/ a splash of red wine vinegar, a pinch of allspice and pepper--or just plain as a topping)

Directions

1. Pick over the dried beans, removing any rocks, or broken, shriveled beans. Wash well and soak over night in water, plus an additional 2 inches covering the top.

2. The next day, drain the beans run in fresh running water and drain again. Discard any that float to the top.

3. Place beans in a large stew pot with the water. Bring to a rolling boil, then cover and reduce to simmer for 45 minutes.

4. Meanwhile in a skillet, heat oil and gently saute peppers, onions and garlic for about 10 minutes stirring occasionally.

5. Add 1 cup of the beans to the skillet and mash together. Add this mash back to the pot.

6. Add to the pot salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaves, cumin, sugar and boullion powder. Cover and simmer 1 hour on medium heat.

7. Uncover and add vinegar and wine and simmer an additional 30 minutes. Uncover and cook until the sauce thickens. Add more water if required.

8. Salt and pepper if desired, serve with chopped onions!