Arroz Congri, Cuban Black Beans & Rice (Pressure Cooker-Fast)

Arroz congrí is Cuban cooking. This mixture of black beans and white rice is a simple yet non-negotiable staple for every Cuban homecook we know and those who love their food.

We asked Patty Morrell-Ruiz, aka Chef Patty of The Mad Table, one of our favorite Cuban cooks, to show us how she makes her legendary congri. Always so generous, Patty gave us a congri cooking lesson, something’s she pretty good at: Chef Patty teaches at Miami Culinary Institute, in addition to offering kids cooking classes in her Miami home. She likes to use a pressure cooker, to save time and keep all the sabor, she told us. If you’re not the pressure cooker type, Patty also offers easy directions on how to make congri the traditional way, in a stock pot or olla (see her recipe notes, below).

“To be Cuban is to eat congri,” explains Patty. “Congri is important to me because it is a Cuban staple and it connects me to my roots. My grandmother always made it for Sunday lunch to serve with her lechon asado and yuca con mojo. Yum!”

If you’ve not tasted it, here’s the Cliff Notes on congri. “Congri is a Cuban rice dish that is loaded with flavor. It is made with black beans that are cooked together with white rice, sofrito, spices and bacon.” This dish reflects Cuba’s heritage as a Spanish colony. The Spaniards may have left in 1898, but congri stayed, as did its Old World nickname. “Congri is also known as Moros y Cristianos (Moors and Christians),” says Patty. “The name reflects the historical conflict between Muslims and Christians in Spain. The black beans represent the Moors, and the white rice represents the Christians.” Los españoles brought the ingredients to the New World with them and the dish caught on in Cuba, but not in nearby Puerto Rico or Dominican Republic, who were also Spanish colonies. Cuba’s Caribbean neighbors have their own signature rice and beans combos, using other kinds of habichuelas. (Typically red or pink in Puerto Rico and red or roman in the D.R.)

Who taught Patty how to make this family recipe? “I originally learned to make it from my dad in my early 20s, and then years later I kind of merged Dad’s recipes with some of my mother-in-law’s tips.”

How often does she make it these days, during her busy mom and working life in Miami? ”I make congri any time I need a perfect side dish (it goes great with Cuban lechon, chicken, and steak). And ALWAYS on Nochebuena (December 24). This dish feeds a crowd. It’s just not a Cuban feast without a cazuela of aroz congri on the table!”

For more of Chef Patty’s Cuban cooking, check out her Cuban pollo a la chorrera the winner of our arroz con pollo food fight and her chorizo and black bean dip, the perfecto party app or game-day snack.

Ready to Make Chef Patty’s Arroz Congri?

Arroz Congri in a Pressure Cooker: Cuba’s Black Beans & Rice Essential

Recipe by Patty Morrell-Ruiz

5.0 from 1 vote

Cuisine: Cuban

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

40

minutes

Ingredients

• 14 oz bag dried black beans (1 bag)

• 8 cups water

• 1 1/2 large yellow onion, divided (1 onion peeled and diced + ½ onion peeled and not cut)

• 1 1/2 red bell peppers, divided, (1 pepper, diced + ½ bell pepper not cut)

• 2 oz ground chorizo, optional

• 1/2 Tbsp plus 1 tsp kosher salt, divided

• 1 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup olive oil, divided

• 3 thick-cut bacon slices

• 1 1/2 tsp salt, coarse, divided

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp dried cumin

• 2 cups white rice, long grain, rinsed

• 2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

• Place the beans in a colander. Rinse them well under cold water and with your fingers separate any small rocks from the beans, and discard the rocks, if any.
• Add the beans, water, ½ onion, ½ red bell pepper, and chorizo, if using, to a pressure cooker, over medium-high heat.
• Let pressure cooker come to full pressure, and cook for 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat, release pressure, and let stand until pressure is completely released.
• Remove lid. Discard onion, bell pepper, and chorizo.
• Do not discard the black bean cooking liquid. Set aside and reserve 6 cups to use to cook the rice.
• Mix the Rice and Beans: Arroz Congri
• Preheat oven to 325°.
• Add 1 Tbsp olive oil in a heavy bottom pan or Dutch oven.
• Add the bacon and cook until crispy, over medium heat. Remove the bacon and chop into small bite-sized pieces and set aside until ready to use.
• Sprinkle salt over the minced garlic. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, press and crush the garlic. Repeat the process of pressing and crushing until a smooth garlic paste is formed. Set aside until ready to use.
• In the same pan used to cook the bacon with its remaining bacon grease, add the chopped onion and chopped red bell pepper. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the veggies begin to soften.
• Add the garlic paste, bay leaves, oregano, cumin, and remaining 1 tsp salt and cook for 30 seconds, over medium heat.
• Add half of the finely chopped bacon, the rinsed rice, 6 cups of the black bean cooking liquid, cooked black beans, and the remaining ¼ cup olive oil.
• Bring to a full rapid boil, stir and cover with a lid or foil paper. Transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the rice is ready.
• Remove from the oven. Fluff the rice with a fork, and garnish with the remaining half of the crispy bacon and fresh parsley. Enjoy.
• Note: 1) To cook the beans without a pressure cooker, add the rinsed beans with enough water to cover in a stock pot and let them soak overnight.
• When ready to cook, add 8 cups of water, ½ onion, ½ red bell pepper, and chorizo, if using.
• Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the beans are soft.
• Stir occasionally and add water (1 cup at a time), if needed (beans may absorb water rather quickly), during the cooking process.

Notes

• To cook the beans without a pressure cooker, add the rinsed beans with enough water to cover in a stock pot and let them soak overnight.
  1) When ready to cook, add 8 cups of water, ½ onion, ½ red bell pepper, and chorizo, if using.
  2) Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, or until the beans are soft.
  3) Stir occasionally and add water (1 cup at a time), if needed (beans may absorb water rather quickly), during the cooking process.