Smoky Black Beans

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Meaty, slow-cooked beans make an appearance on Latin and Caribbean plates from Little Havana to Little Haiti and everywhere in between. Some are served with rice, some are stewed with every flavorful cut of meat that fits in the pot, as in Brazilian feijoada. What most versions have in common is the richness and smoky flavor of pork. My simplified version uses bacon and ham hocks for loads of flavor with a minimal amount of fuss. Starting with dried beans takes some advance prep, but it is an easy way to achieve authentic results! Note: this recipe requires advance preparation.

Ingredients

  • 14 oz. dried black beans, rinsed, picked over, soaked overnight and drained
  • 1 tablespoon canola oil
  • 5 strips center cut bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 medium white onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch knob of ginger, peeled and cut in half
  • 2 dried bay leaves
  • 2 ham hocks
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Sour cream, hot sauce, fresh cilantro and chopped scallions, for serving (optional)

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook until browned. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate and set aside, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Add the onion and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for one minute, stirring constantly. Add the beans, ginger, bay leaves, ham hocks and enough water to cover by 2 inches.
 Turn the heat up to high in order to bring the water to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low to maintain a steady simmer. Cook for 2 hours or until the beans are tender. During the cooking time, stir the beans occasionally and use a spoon to skim off any fat or scum that rises to the surface. If the water evaporates before the beans finish cooking, add just enough to keep them mostly covered. By the time the beans are done, the majority of the water should evaporate, creating a thick consistency.

Remove the giner, ham hocks and bay leaves from the pan. Stir the bacon pieces into the beans and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing the sour cream, hot sauce, cilantro and scallions for guests to garnish as they like.

Smoked Prime Rib of Beef with Three-Chile Rub

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Serve the prime rib slices with the Creamy Horseradish Sauce in the sandwich recipe, below. I also recommend garlic mashed potatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and steamed asparagus in a lemon aioli sauce.


Ingredients

 

  • The Three-Chile Rub
  • 3 tablespoons ground ancho chile
  • 2 teaspoons ground chile de arbol
  • 2 teaspoons ground chipotle chile
  • 2 teaspoons dried oregano, Mexican preferred
  • 2 teaspoons onion salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon powdered garlic

 

 

Instructions

The Roast:

1 (8-10 pound) prime rib of beef, tied

To make the rub, combine all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Store any unused rub in a sealed container in the freezer. (The yield is approximately 2/3 cup.)

Follow the directions for rubbing and smoking as described in the text, above.

Grilled Prime Ribs with Chipotle BBQ Sauce

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Because this is my favorite barbecue sauce, the recipe makes much more than you will need for the three or four ribs from one roast. Simply divide the remaining sauce into 3/4 cup measurements and freeze until needed again. And because the ribs are already cooked, the time on the grill is very short. Serve with coleslaw and oven-baked french fries.

Ingredients

For the Chipotle BBQ Sauce:

•    3 dried chipotle chiles (or more, to taste)
•    1 cup boiling water
•    1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
•    1 medium onion, chopped fine
•    2 cloves garlic, minced
•    2 red bell peppers, quartered, seeds removed
•    2 onions, sliced thickly
•    3 tomatoes, cut in half
•    2 cups ketchup
•    1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
•    1/4 cup red wine vinegar
•    1/4 cup brown sugar

For the Ribs:

•    3 or 4 smoked prime ribs, cut from the roast and separated

Instructions

For the Chipotle BBQ Sauce:

To make the sauce, in a bowl, combine the chipotle chiles with boiling water and soak for 30 minutes or more to soften. Chop the chipotles finely. In a medium saucepan, heat the oil and sauce the onion. After the onion is translucent, add the garlic and continue to sauce for 2 minutes.

To roast the bell peppers, onions, and tomatoes, place them on the grill over a medium fire and grill until they are soft and slightly blackened. Remove, peel, and chop the vegetables.

In a large sauce pan, combine all the ingredients and bring the mixture to a low boil over a medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Let the mixture cool and puree in a blender or food processor until smooth. You can thin the mixture with water if you so desire. (The yield is about 4 cups and the heat scale is medium.)

For the Ribs:

To grill the ribs, heat the grill to medium-hot. Place the ribs on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, turning frequently to avoid flare-ups from the fat in the ribs. Brush the BBQ sauce over the ribs and cook for another 2 minutes, taking care that the sauce does not burn. Transfer to a platter and serve additional sauce on the side.

Prime Beef Sub Sandwich with Creamy Horseradish Sauce

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Here is another incredibly easy but tasty way to use the leftover prime rib meat. Of course, you can add plenty of other ingredients to this sandwich, like onions, lettuce, tomatoes, green chile, and cheese, but the meat is so flavorful that it can stand alone with just the horseradish sauce.

Ingredients

Creamy Horseradish Sauce:

  • 2/3 cup sour cream
  • 1/4 cup fresh or prepared commercial horseradish
  • 2 green onions, finely chopped
  • 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon chopped fresh dill weed


The Sandwich:

  • 4 thin slices prime rib meat
  • 1 sub sandwich roll
  • Lettuce and sliced tomatoes (optional)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste


Instructions

To make the sauce, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and stir until well mixed. Allow the mixture to sit for 15 to 20 minutes to blend the flavors. (The yield is 2/3 cup.)

To make the sandwich, spread the sauce over the two slices of bread, lay the slices of prime rib meat over one of the slices, add salt and pepper to taste, and top with the other bread slice.

Prime Beef and Vegetable Chile Hash

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This is a great breakfast dish and is a meal in itself when each serving is topped with a poached egg. Have your favorite bottled hot sauce handy if the hash is not hot enough for you. If you would like an accompaniment, how about a fruit salad with mangos, bananas, peaches, and pineapple? This is a great breakfast dish and is a meal in itself when each serving is topped with a poached egg. Have your favorite bottled hot sauce handy if the hash is not hot enough for you. If you would like an accompaniment, how about a fruit salad with mangos, bananas, peaches, and pineapple?

Ingredients

•    4 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
•    1/2 pound leftover prime rib meat, diced
•    1/4 pound bacon, diced
•    1 onion, chopped
•    1 red bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
•    1 yellow bell pepper, seeds and stem removed, diced
•    1/2 cup chopped New Mexican green chile that has been roasted and peeled
•    Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
•    3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley for garnish

Instructions

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Remove, drain, and place in a bowl with the meat.

In a skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add the onion and bell peppers and cook, stirring often, for 5 more minutes. Remove this mixture with a slotted spoon and add it to the bowl with the potatoes and meat. Add the green chile, salt and pepper to taste, and mix well.

Remove all but about three tablespoons of bacon fat from the skillet, add hash mixture and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Do not stir it but take care that it does not burn. Turn the hash with a spatula and cook for 5 more minutes. Remove to plates, garnish with the parsley, and top with poached eggs.