- 2 cups of raw red beans
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 chorizo
- 1 ham bone
- 200 grams of bacon cut into cubes or thin slices
- ½ cup of fried tomato sauce
- 1 onion
- 5 cloves of garlic
- 1 red bell pepper
- Salt, pepper, cumin, and oregano to taste
- 4 tablespoons of oil
- 1 medium potato
- 1 piece of pumpkin
Soak the beans for at least 4 hours. Then soften them in the pressure cooker with clean water. Add the ham bone or lacón and the bay leaf. The beans should be in the pressure for at least 20 minutes to soften, but this will depend on the cooker and the variety of bean you are using. Keep an eye on them to avoid drying out. When the beans are soft, remove the meat from the bone and incorporate it into the pot. Avoid using small bones because they sometimes disintegrate and are unpleasant in the mouth.
In a pan, heat the oil. Then add the chorizo cut into rounds and the bacon cut into cubes. Sauté until they start releasing fat and begin to brown. Then add the garlic, onion, and bell pepper chopped into small pieces. Stir to combine all the ingredients, incorporate the tomato sauce and the spices. Let it cook over low heat for about 5 minutes. Once the sofrito is ready, add it to the already soft beans. Also add the washed, peeled, and diced root vegetables of similar size. Adjust the salt to taste. Cover the pressure cooker and cook for another 10 minutes over medium heat. Some people prefer thick beans.
In that case, mash some root vegetables and let the broth reduce over low heat until it reaches your desired consistency.
Cubans eat this dish accompanied by white rice. Enjoy!