Authentic Cuban Arroz Congrí
Mise en Place / Ingredients[12]
- 2 cups Long-grain white rice (Canilla Extra Long Grain)
- 2.5 cups Cooked black beans with broth (Goya Black Beans)
- 4 slices Thick-cut bacon, diced
- 1 whole Green bell pepper, minced
- 1 whole Yellow onion, minced
- 4 cloves Garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 tsp Ground cumin (Badia Ground Cumin)
- 1 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 leaf Dried bay leaf
- 1 tbsp Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1.5 tsp Kosher salt
- 0.5 tsp Freshly ground black pepper
🛒 US Supermarket Brand Guide
Deep inky broth that imparts optimal color. • 📍 Hispanic aisle.
Cooking Sequence & Checkpoints
Crisp diced bacon with 1 tbsp olive oil in a heavy pot. Add minced onion, green bell pepper, crushed garlic, ground cumin, dried oregano, and bay leaf; sauté until fragrant.
✓ Checkpoint: Crispy bacon and fragrant sofrito.
Stir in long-grain white rice for 2 minutes to coat thoroughly in the seasoned bacon fat.
✓ Checkpoint: Glossy grains.
Pour in hot black beans with their dark broth, kosher salt, and black pepper. Simmer uncovered over medium heat until the liquid recedes to the surface of the rice.
✓ Checkpoint: Liquid just below the surface.
Cover tightly and cook over lowest heat for 20 minutes. Remove bay leaf and fluff gently with a fork.
✓ Checkpoint: Separate fluffy mahogany-purple grains.
🔬 Why It Works:
Rendered Fat & Cumin Sofrito Coating: Coating grains in rendered bacon fat, olive oil, and 1 tsp toasted ground cumin creates a lipid barrier that keeps every grain fluffy and separate.
⚠️ Troubleshooting:
Mushy rice: Keep liquid ratio at 1.5 to 1 including beans.