Moros y Cristianos

Method

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1. Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat and fry the bacon for 5 minutes, until the fat has run. Add the onion and green pepper and cook for 6 minutes, until soft.

   Mark done Start 5 min timer

2. Stir in the garlic, cumin and oregano and cook for 1 minute.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

3. Add the rice and stir for 1 minute so the grains are coated.

   Mark done Start 1 min timer

4. Pour in the beans with their liquid, the stock, bay leaves, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring once.

   Mark done

5. Reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover tightly and cook for 20 minutes without lifting the lid.

   Mark done Start 20 min timer

6. Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves, fluff with a fork and serve.

   Mark done Start 10 min timer

Chef’s Tips

• Do not lift the lid while the rice cooks. The steam is what cooks it.
• Use the bean liquid from the tins. It colours and flavours the rice.
• Cook over the lowest heat. High heat burns the bottom before the top is done.

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.
• Fresh herbs work in place of the dried oregano at roughly three times the quantity — a teaspoon of dried is about a tablespoon of fresh, chopped.

Pairing Suggestions

• Picadillo
• Fried ripe plantains
• Roast pork

Storage & Reheating

Keep in the fridge up to 4 days. Reheat with a splash of water. Freezes for 2 months.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.