Taste Of Colombia: International Flavors

PAISA PINTO BEANS (FRIJOLES PAISAS)

Frijoles Paisas is a common dish from my region of Antioquia. I’ve eaten it all of my life and it is definitely one of my favorite dishes. Few meals are as truly Colombian as this. We serve it over rice or as part of our famous Colombian dish “Bandeja Paisa” which is a huge meal including, paisa pinto beans, white rice, ripe plantain, Colombian chorizo, avocado, chicharron (pork fritters) ground beef and fried egg. This dish is served in most casual Colombian restaurants around the world. If you are on a diet, this is the best reason to break it. In this post, I included directions to make the recipe in a regular pot or in a slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS (6 SERVINGS)

3 cups pinto beans
½ pound pork hocks
6 cups water
1 cup shredded carrots
½ teaspoon salt
½ green plantain, cuted into ¼- inch

GUISO:

1 tablespoon chopped onions
2 cups diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped scallions
3 tablespoon vegetable oil
¼ teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, minced
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ teaspoon ground cumin

DIRECTIONS IF USING A REGULAR POT

1. Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a large pot and add the water and pork hocks. Over medium-high heat, bring the beans to a boil, then cover the pot and reduce the heat to medium-low. Allow the beans to cook until almost tender, approximately 2 hours.

2. When the beans are cooking, prepare the guiso. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, add the tomatoes, onions, scallions, salt, garlic, cilantro and ground cumin and cook for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. When the beans are almost tender, add the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt. Cover and cook for another hour or until the beans are fully cooked. (Add additional water as necessary).

DIRECTIONS USING SLOW COOKER

For the slow cooker, use the same ingredients except use just 4 cups water instead of 6.

1. Wash the beans and soak overnight in cold water. Drain the beans and place in a slow cooker, add 4 cups water and pork hocks and cook on high for about 2 hours.

2. Follow step 2 in the regular pot recipe.

3. Add the guiso, plantains, carrots and salt then cover and cook for another 3 hours. Taste for salt and serve.

For more great recipes visit "My Colombian Recipes."