José's Black Beans & Rice

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon diced thick
• 2  bay leaves 
• 8 servings black beans 
• 64 oz chicken broth 
• 8 servings rice hot cooked
• 16 oz black beans dried
• 1 cup cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves fresh chopped
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 3  garlic cloves minced
• 7  garlic cloves 
• 1  bell pepper green coarsely chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon ground cumin 
• 2 tablespoons juice of lime fresh
• 0.5 cup olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon olive oil 
• 1 tablespoon orange juice fresh
• 1  plantains cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 8 servings fried plantain and mojo 
• 1  bell pepper red chopped
• 2 tablespoons roasted bell peppers red chopped
• 1 teaspoon salt 
• 2  shallots coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon paprika smoked
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 2 tablespoons tomato sauce 
• 8 servings vegetable oil 
• 1 large onion yellow chopped
• 8 servings sofrito 
• 8 servings sofrito 

Equipment

• food processor
• frying pan
• paper towels
• sauce pan
• whisk
• dutch oven

Directions

1. Place beans in a large Dutch oven; add water to depth of 2 inches above beans. Bring to a boil. Boil 1 minute; cover, remove from heat, and let stand 1 hour.
2. Drain.
3. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring often, 8 to 10 minutes or until crisp.
4. Remove bacon, and drain on paper towels; reserve drippings in Dutch oven.
5. Add onion, 3 garlic cloves, and red bell pepper to hot drippings; cook, stirring often, 10 minutes or until tender.
6. Add broth, next 3 ingredients, and beans; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 2 hours or until beans are tender.
7. Pour vegetable oil to depth of 1 inch in a 10-inch cast-iron skillet; heat to 34
8. Fry plantain 2 to 3 minutes or until golden.
9. Drain on paper towels.
10. Prepare Mojo: Stir together 2 garlic cloves and next 3 ingredients.
11. Heat 1/2 cup olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat 2 to 3 minutes; whisk into juice mixture.
12. Add salt and pepper to taste.
13. Prepare Sofrito: Pulse 7 garlic cloves and next 3 ingredients in a food processor until finely chopped. Saut garlic mixture in 1 Tbsp. hot olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes.
14. Add paprika and next 3 ingredients; saut 1 minute.
15. Spoon desired amount hot cooked rice onto individual serving plates. Top each with 1 cup black bean mixture and 1 Tbsp. Sofrito.
16. Drizzle each with 1 Tbsp. Mojo.
17. Sprinkle with bacon and plantain cubes.