Rice-and-Black Bean Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

For beans:

1 1/4 cups (8 oz.) dried and rinsed black beans

5 cups cold water

1 large green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into quarters

1 large onion, peeled and quartered

 

For sofrito:

8 oz. lean pork, diced

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, diced

1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

1 tsp. dried oregano

1 bay leaf

3 tbsp. dry sherry

2 cups extra-long-grain rice, rinsed

PREPARATION

In 5-quart stockpot combine beans, water, green pepper, and onion. Let stand at room temperature 3 hours or overnight. To cook, bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, adding more water if necessary to cover beans. Strain, reserving 3 cups cooking liquid, adding water if necessary to make 3 cups. Discard pepper and onion.

 

Rinse and dry pot to prepare sofrito. Cook pork over medium heat until lightly browned. With slotted spoon, transfer pork to bowl. Add oil to pot and heat over medium-low heat. Add diced onion, green pepper, and garlic and cook, stirring ocasionally, until onion is tender, about 10 minutes.

Stir in salt, pepper, oregano, bay leaf, sherry, beans, and reserved cooking liquid and bring to boil.

Stir in rice and return to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer gently about 15 minutes. (Rice should be somewhat hard and dry at this point. It will finish cooking inside turkey.) Discard bay leaf and let cool before stuffing turkey.

Place leftover rice and beans in ovenproof bowl and cook alongside turkey 25 minutes. Makes approximately 8 1/2 cups.