Congri

 INGREDIENTS 

3 slices thick-cut bacon (save the bacon fat!)

1/2 cup green bell pepper chopped

1 small onion chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup uncooked long-grain rice

15 ounces canned black beans*

1 1/2 cups water (if using dry black beans, see note below)

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1 bay leaf

Salt and pepper to taste

INSTRUCTIONS 

In a Dutch oven, add bacon slices and fry until fully cooked and crispy. Do not discard the bacon fat. Transfer the bacon slices to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Roughly chop them and set aside.

In the same Dutch oven with the bacon fat, add green peppers and onions. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Add rice, black beans with the liquid from the can (if using dry black beans, see note below), water, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, salt, and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to simmer, and cook for 40 minutes. DO NOT OPEN THE LID. The steam is what cooks the rice.

After 40 minutes, remove from heat. Keep the lid on for another 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork then stir in the chopped bacon. Serve and enjoy!

NOTES

If you have the time, you could use dry beans using the following method.

Soak 6 ounces of dry black beans in a pot full of 3 cups of water overnight.

The next day, drain and then add 5 new cups of water to the pot.

Bring to a boil and cook them for 60 minutes, stirring frequently. Be careful not to let the beans dry out completely.

You can add 1 cup of water if they are absorbing the water too quickly. Keep an eye on them. You can remove a few beans from the pot and squish them with the back of a spoon to make sure they have softened.

After softening the beans for 60 minutes, transfer them to a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of its cooking liquid. Set aside.

Continue making the Moros in step 3 of the recipe following the ingredients exactly as they are stated in the Moros recipe using the softened black beans with their reserved liquid in place of the canned beans.

Carne Asada Steak Tacos

Marinade

1 1/2 - 2 pounds flank steak pounded to an even thin thickness

1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Spice Mix

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

2 tsp EACH smoked paprika, chili powder

1 tsp EACH salt, onion powder, ground coriander

1/2 tsp EACH pepper, cayenne pepper

Instructions

Add Spice Mix seasonings to a small bag or sealable container; whisk and set aside.

Add all Marinade Ingredients (except steak) to a large freezer bag and whisk to combine. Add 3 tablespoons Spice Mix to Marinade and whisk to combine. Add steak, squeeze out excess air, seal and turn to evenly coat. Marinate in the refrigerator 4-12 hours (the longer the better).

While steak is marinating, prepare pico de gallo and other toppings aside from guacamole and refrigerate.

When ready to grill, mix remaining Spice Mix with 2 tablespoons olive oil to create a wet Spice Rub.

Discard marinade and pat steaks dry with paper towel. Rub steak evenly all over with Spice Rub and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes. I use this time to make guacamole (recipe to follow).

Grease and preheat outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to high heat. Add steak and turn down to medium-high. Grill steak for 5-6 minutes per side, turning once, for medium (recommended 145 degrees F). For medium- well, continue cooking steak over indirect flame for an additional 5-10 minutes per side, depending on thickness. *If you like your steaks rare then use HIGH heat so you can get the charred outside in less time.

Remove steak and let rest 10 minutes before chopping into small pieces.