The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean - Moros Y Cristianos with Chile Cumin-rubbed Pork Chops

This is what hippies who probably shag a lot look like.

As I have mentioned before, one of my favorite cookbooks is The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean by Mel and Sheryl London, published in the late 70s. It included recipes for quinoa and amaranth, almost four decades before they became the trendy grains for the foodies, although I think I read that quinoa made some inroads with the Atkins set due to its low carb makeup. Their recipes for Moros y Cristianos (black beans on seasoned white rice covered in tricolor carmelized onions and peppers) and Black Bean Timbale with Red Pepper Sauce have been returned to many times.


It was time to turn The Colonel onto Moros y Cristianos. We had some thinly sliced bone in pork chops in the freezer from the Used Meat section at the store. I rubbed the chops with a mixture of chile powder, cumin, salt and pepper and sauteed them.

You can make Moros with canned black beans, but dried beans taste a lot better and have better texture. Plus, you can better control the salt. If you don't have room in the fridge for an overnight soak, which is basically my reality now, you can do a quick soak. Place the beans in hot tap water to cover by about 3 inches and bring to a boil slowly. Boil for two minutes and then remove pot from heat. Cover and let the beans soak for an hour. Drain off the soaking liquid and rinse. Then you can proceed.

Mangia!

Moros Y Cristianos
Adapted from The Versatile Grain and the Elegant Bean

Beans

1 1/2 cup dried black beans, soaked, drained and rinsed
1 small onion, stuck with a couple of cloves
1 small carrot
1 small stalk celery
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs parsley
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
Salt to taste

Place beans in large stock pot and cover with water by about 3 inches. Add the remaining ingredients except salt, bring to a boil and simmer, covered, with lid ajar for about 55 minutes until tender. Discard the vegetables and herbs. Add salt and leave beans in cooking liquid.

Rice

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cup long grain white rice
3 3/4 cups chicken broth
Pinch of saffron, dissolved in chicken broth
Salt to taste

Heat oilve oil in a large stockpot and add onions and garlic. Saute over medium heat for a couple of minutes. Add rice and cook stirring until transparent, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth and salt and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Peppers

One each red, green and yellow bell pepper, sliced thinly into 2 inch lengths
One Hatch chile, seeded and ribs removed, thinly sliced
One large onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in large skillet and cook onions for about 5 minutes. Add garlic, peppers and seasoning and saute, stirring often, for about 5 minutes, or until peppers are tender but still have some bite to them.

Serving

Mound rice in center of platter. Make a mound in the center. Fill the mound with peppers and spoon drained beans around rice.