Cuban Black Beans

Ingredients

• 2 small bay leaves 
• 1 cup cubanelle chile peppers seeded chopped
• 12 servings rice hot cooked
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds 
• 2 pounds black beans dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil extra virgin 
• 12 servings olive oil extra virgin 
• 3  garlic cloves pressed
• 2 large onions chopped
• 2 teaspoons oregano dried whole
• 3.5 teaspoons salt 
• 12 servings cooking sherry 
• 14 cups water 

Equipment

• frying pan
• mortar and pestle
• dutch oven
• meat tenderizer

Directions

1. Rinse and sort beans according to package directions.
2. Place beans in a large Dutch oven; cover with cold water, and let soak at least 8 hours.
3. Drain beans, and return to Dutch oven.
4. Add 14 cups water, bay leaf, and garlic; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours or until beans are tender.
5. Process oregano, cumin seeds, and salt in an electric spice grinder until ground and blended.
6. Saut chiles in 2 tablespoons hot oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet 5 minutes; add onions, and saut 5 minutes or until tender. Stir onion mixture and oregano mixture into beans in Dutch oven, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 30 minutes.
7. Remove and discard bay leaf. Cover and let stand 5 minutes. (For a thicker consistency, remove 1 cup bean mixture, and mash with a fork; return to pan.)
8. Serve over rice, drizzling with oil and vinegar.
9. *1 large green bell pepper may be substituted.
10. Note: If you don't have an electric spice grinder, use a mortar and pestle, or place spices in a zip-top plastic freezer bag, seal, and pound with the flat side of a meat mallet.