Fine Fixin’s: Cuban Black Bean Stew

Let me ask you a question. Do you like flavor? Of course you do. You have a mouth. (Hopefully.) Second question. Are you a vegetarian? Yes? Ok, you may want to leave the room. The rest of you, come with me . . .

This recipe will punch you with some flavor and warm you up, transporting you away from all of the cold and snow that seems to come with this time of year. Trust us, it works. I particularly like the raw onion and lime garnish. I think it adds a nice crunch to the stew that keeps it from getting really heavy. So get ready to kiss winter goodbye, even if only for a meal or two.

Cuban Black Bean Stew

• 1 or 2 meaty smoked ham hocks (about 1-1/2 pounds), we actually used a 1lbs of ham steak, and 1/2lbs of thick bacon (which we removed before eating) and it worked just fine
• Good tasting extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 medium to large onions, chopped into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small to medium green bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 1 small to medium red bell pepper, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 14-oz. cans chicken broth or vegetable broth
• 6 large garlic cloves, coarse chopped
• 3 bay leaves, broken
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3/4 to 1 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
• 3 generous tablespoons tomato paste
• 3 15-ounce cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• 3 limes halved, or about 1/2 cup sherry, wine, cider or palm vinegar

Garnishes:

1 cup chopped mild onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh coriander
Hot sauce

1. Trim the meat away from the ham hock bone, cutting it into small pieces. Don’t be too fussy; leaving some on the bone is fine. Film the bottom of a 10-quart stockpot (If you have only a 6-quart pot, do step 1 in a big sauté pan, then combine the sauté with the beans and broth in the 6-quart pan) with olive oil and heat over medium high. Stir in the meat, bone, cloves, onions, peppers, and salt. Sauté 8 minutes (stirring occasionally), or until the vegetables are sizzling and there’s a brown glaze on the bottom of the pan (vegetables need not brown, and take care not to let that glaze blacken).

2. Add a little of the broth along with the garlic, bay leaves, cumin, oregano, black pepper, and tomato paste. With a wooden spatula, scrape up the glaze as you simmer the mix on medium high for 3 minutes. Then add the beans and the remaining broth. Adjust the heat so the soup bubbles gently. Cover the pot tightly, and cook for 20 minutes.

3. Stir in the juice from 2-1/2 limes, or 1/3 cup of vinegar. Taste soup for seasoning. Adjust salt and pepper, and add more lime or vinegar to your own taste.

4. Ladle the soup into bowls, topping each serving with a heaping tablespoon of chopped onion and a little fresh coriander. Have hot sauce on the table.

From: The Splendid Table’s How to Eat Supper