# Rice and beans recipe?



## critical647 (Aug 15, 2010)

Does anyone have a good recipe for rice and beans?  Specifically, I'm looking to make them like how they do in Brazil or Peru.  I know a lot of recipes call for a ton of fat, but does anyone have one that is healthier?  Good rice and beans are not easy to find.


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

critical647 said:


> Does anyone have a good recipe for rice and beans? Specifically, I'm looking to make them like how they do in Brazil or Peru. I know a lot of recipes call for a ton of fat, but does anyone have one that is healthier? Good rice and beans are not easy to find.


When you say like in Brazil, I assume you mean black beans and fried rice?


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## critical647 (Aug 15, 2010)

No, pinto beans and white rice. It a very simple dish, but when it is made correctly, my god is it so delicious.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped.../800px-Rice_and_beans,_Hotel_in_Itatiaia.jpeg

I'm just wondering if you can make rice and beans taste delicious without having to use all of the bacon/lard.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Hi critical. 

Since all you posted was a picture, it's pretty hard to tell what's in the beans.  If you say lots of bacon and/or lard, who am I to disagree?  However, lard is very seldom used in ordinary "bean pot" beans. 

There thousands of vegetarian and very low-fat bean recies.  Some of them may be as good as a decent pot of beans made with bacon, salt pork, side meat, pork belly, etc., but I doubt it.

Cooking the beans in diluted chicken stock along with a smoked turkey wing is a step away from the horror of no-fat beans, but not quite the same as fatty pork. Be aware, it's pretty hard to make beans anything approaching high fat.   

The more specific you are, the easier it's going to be get close to what you want.

Sorry I can't be more help,

BDL


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## iplaywithfire (Jul 5, 2010)

It's no recipe, it's not S. American (unless you twist that to mean the southern part of the U.S.), it's just a southern boy's concept of rustic rice and beans, bet here you have it:

Beans with ham hock and/or pork knuckles is a family tradition for me.  It's still not exactly a low fat method, but it's much better for you than lard or any other form of straight-up pork fat.  If you smoke the pork before adding it to the pot, even better.  You could trim off as much fat as you wanted to for additional healthiness, just make sure you leave all the gelatinous bits on there if you're going to go the hock/knuckle route.  Personally I favor using the remnants of a full roasted ham, bone intact, because the meaty pieces that still cling to the bone can be served up with the dish, or pulled and mixed with the beans directly.  Traditionally I use navy, black-eyed, or cannellini beans, but I see no reason why pintos would be less enjoyable.  I'm no specialist in S. American cuisines, but I'd imagine chilis and vinegars are still used as widely further south as they are in Central America.  Use chx stock for extra body as BDL suggested, but water is o.k. too with a nice amount of hock or knuckles, toss some bay leaf, garlic, onion or leek, celery, and green bell pepper (possible substitution with something hotter, or maybe poblano or something of the like which is more akin to S. American varietals), vinegar to the stock (salt to taste once reduced), and you have one heck of a flavor combination.  We always serve our traditional beans with rice (basmati cooked in a light vegetable stock is my favorite) and/or corn bread, butter, and honey.  Flavor overload.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

iplaywithfire said:


> It's no recipe, it's not S. American (unless you twist that to mean the southern part of the U.S.), it's just a southern boy's concept of rustic rice and beans, bet here you have it:
> 
> Beans with ham hock and/or pork knuckles is a family tradition for me. It's still not exactly a low fat method, but it's much better for you than lard or any other form of straight-up pork fat. If you smoke the pork before adding it to the pot, even better. You could trim off as much fat as you wanted to for additional healthiness, just make sure you leave all the gelatinous bits on there if you're going to go the hock/knuckle route. Personally I favor using the remnants of a full roasted ham, bone intact, because the meaty pieces that still cling to the bone can be served up with the dish, or pulled and mixed with the beans directly. Traditionally I use navy, black-eyed, or cannellini beans, but I see no reason why pintos would be less enjoyable. I'm no specialist in S. American cuisines, but I'd imagine chilis and vinegars are still used as widely further south as they are in Central America. Use chx stock for extra body as BDL suggested, but water is o.k. too with a nice amount of hock or knuckles, toss some bay leaf, garlic, onion or leek, celery, and green bell pepper (possible substitution with something hotter, or maybe poblano or something of the like which is more akin to S. American varietals), vinegar to the stock (salt to taste once reduced), and you have one heck of a flavor combination. We always serve our traditional beans with rice (basmati cooked in a light vegetable stock is my favorite) and/or corn bread, butter, and honey. Flavor overload.


Thanks, I just marked that in my favorites. There are some things here that I will need to experiment with. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif Rice an beans are two of my favorite things to eat.


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## iplaywithfire (Jul 5, 2010)

OregonYeti said:


> Thanks, I just marked that in my favorites. There are some things here that I will need to experiment with. /img/vbsmilies/smilies/biggrin.gif Rice an beans are two of my favorite things to eat.


Do tell if and when you have some results or questions or comments. The family variety of pork and beans has always been one of my comfort foods (especially with the sinister addition of cornbread), ever since I can remember, so I'm happy to see it strike up some interest. I've experimented with it many times over the years, and it has spread all throughout my extended family, so I have a lot of different directions one could go with the dish while maintaining its origins. Fundamentally, it has roots in creole cuisine, as it stems from my great-great grandmother as is exemplified with the use of the trinity, but my family has spread all over the U.S., so there is a vast number of variations on our tradition yet unmentioned. I have also used the base concepts of it in some restaurant haute cuisine presentations which have gone over quite well. Some of the different ingredients I mentioned have traditions of their own, but I thought it might be a tad too much to go into detail here, as Critical647 was looking for some more specific suggestions relevant to S. American foods that I am unfortunately unable to provide. Best of fortunes to you and your dish, whatever form it may take!


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## tylerm713 (Aug 6, 2010)

critical647 said:


> No, pinto beans and white rice. It a very simple dish, but when it is made correctly, my god is it so delicious.
> 
> http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped.../800px-Rice_and_beans,_Hotel_in_Itatiaia.jpeg
> 
> I'm just wondering if you can make rice and beans taste delicious without having to use all of the bacon/lard.


Sorry then. I can't really help you there. The only beans-and-rice combinations I make are black beans and fried rice Brazilian style and red beans and rice New Orleans style.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

Here is one of my favorites (which I've posted before):

In the NE corner of India near Myanmar (Burma) live the Naga people, who I grew up with. This is from them. My mom makes it and it's on my list of favorites, for sure.

My Mom's Naga Bean Curry
 

Use fresh green beans and shell beans (canned beans work fine). I like a mixture of bean types, maybe 3 15-oz cans, each a different kind==kidney beans, black beans and butter beans, or whatever. (If you like tofu, it also goes really well with this--cube firm or extra-firm tofu and add it at the same time as the beans. My addition to the recipe). Make it mild or spicy by excluding or including the cayenne pepper.

2 T veg oil
2 t garam masala or curry powder
1 t turmeric
-->heat the spices in the oil
2-3 yellow onions, sliced thinly
-->fry in the oil with the spices 'til the onions are a little browned, stirring often
--> add:
1 lb fresh beans (green, yellow, whatever)
about 5 cups or 3 cans cooked shell-type beans (if canned, rinse)
* include tofu in this amount if desired--it adds a good texture and soaks up the flavor
1-2 tomatoes, chopped, or sauce
3 bay leaves
water to cover beans
3-4 chopped cloves garlic
1 T grated fresh ginger
cayenne pepper to taste (optional)

--> cook 'til the fresh beans are done, salt to taste
--> serve on plain rice--I recommend basmati or jasmine rice
This is just as good 2 days later.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

iplaywithfire, I have not tried your recipe yet--I'm sure I will soon. I'm still getting all set up after moving. Thanks for that!


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