Puerto Rican Rice And Beans (arroz Con Habichuelas)

Total Time: 1 hr 5 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 45 mins

Ingredients

• 4 cups water
• 8 ounces smoked ham hock
• 1 cup dried pinto bean
• 1 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• 1 dash sesame oil
• 1/2 onion, peeled and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, smash and chop
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and diced
• 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1 (15 ounce) can peeled plum tomatoes, drain reserve juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
• 2 tablespoons capers

Recipe

• 1 place the water and ham hock in a pressure cooker, check to make sure the steam release holes are clear and cook for 5 minutes.
• 2 add the pinto beans and cook 20 minutes more.
• 3 add the rice, and when the pressure cooker"hisses," cook for another 5 minutes.
• 4 while the rice and beans cook, heat the oil in a large skillet and saute the onion and garlic until the onion becomes translucent.
• 5 add the red pepper, jalapeno peppers, oregano and tomatoes, stirring and chopping as you go.
• 6 add 1/4 cup of the reserved tomato juice, half of the salt and half of the pepper.
• 7 lower the heat and simmer 15 minutes.
• 8 after the rice and beans have cooked, remove the ham hock, slice off 2 ounces of lean meat and reserve.
• 9 add the cooked rice and beans to the pepper-tomato mixture in the skillet.
• 10 stir in the reserved ham hock meat, 2 tbs of the cilantro, the capers and the remaining salt and pepper.
• 11 to serve: spoon into bowls and garnish with the remaining cilantro.