Sometime around 2011, my then-boyfriend (now my husband) told me something that would change my life: “I’ll propose if you learn how to make frijoles negros (black beans).” Of course, he wasn’t serious, he was smitten and we were destined to be together for the rest of our days but it was still a challenge and I love a challenge.
Only one woman was willing to teach me, show me the way, and share all her recipes—my Tía Lourdes.
A Week in Miami: A Love Letter Written in Black Beans
I’ll never forget driving down to her house in Miami to spend a week with her so she could teach me how to cook authentic Cuban food—in the name of love. I had never truly been in love before, and I remember telling her all about Miguel and how I wanted to learn to cook for a man who adored Cuban flavors, especially Cuban black beans.
Tía Lourdes welcomed me into her kitchen with open arms. She gave me more than recipes—she gave me a crash course in our culinary heritage. From the simmering sofrito to the pressure cooker trick that cut hours off the cooking time, she taught me the true meaning of cooking with heart and purpose.
The Moment I Knew I Nailed The Black Beans
I came home with a small arsenal of traditional Cuban recipes, but the first thing I made was her frijoles negros—this time in a pressure cooker.
When I served them to Miguel, he looked at me with wide eyes, speechless. I smiled, stuck out my hand, wiggled my ring finger, and said: “Size 7.”
Why This Recipe Matters
This isn’t just a pot of beans. It’s a symbol of love, culture, and the power of food to connect us to our roots.
I’m sharing my most treasured black bean recipe with you—passed down from my great-aunt, perfected with time, and made easier for the modern cook using a pressure cooker. The stovetop version can take up to 4 hours. This one? Just 1 hour, with the same depth of flavor.
From Family Recipe to Culinary Brand
That week with my great-aunt planted the seed for something bigger: a deep desire to preserve and celebrate our culture through food. It eventually led to the creation of Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil (Aceite de Achiote)—an international kitchen staple, reimagined for today’s pantry.
From her stovetop to mine, and now to yours—thank you for being part of this story.
Let’s keep cooking, loving, and passing it on.
iBuen provecho!
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Tía Lourdes’ Quick Frijoles Negros (Black Beans)
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried black beans
- 1 green bell pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tsp table or kosher salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ cup Spanish olive oil
- 1 Spanish onion
- 4-6 cloves garlic
- 5-7 ají cachucha (sweet chili pepper)
- ½ tsp cumin
- ½ cup vino seco or dry white wine can be substituted with dry sherry
- 3 leaves culantro can be substituted with ¼ bunch of cilantro, chopped
Optional:
- ½-1 tsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- Pour the beans into the pressure cooker. Comb through them with your hands, removing any stones you may find.
- Rinse the beans thoroughly until the water runs clear. You have to fill, swish, dump the water and repeat 2-3 times.
- Fill the pressure cooker containing the beans halfway with water. Add ½ green pepper with the seeds and stem removed, 2 bay leaves, and 1 tsp of salt. Cover with the lid and secure the latch to the pressure cooker.
- Over high heat, set the pressure cooker to boil.
- Once the pressure has built up in the pressure cooker, lower the heat to medium-high, set a timer, and cook for 45 minutes. (20 minutes if you soaked the beans overnight)
- On a cutting board, remove the seeds and stems from the remaining ½ green pepper. Leave the seeds in the ajícitos (sweet chili peppers). With the chef's knife, dice the peppers and onion.
- Using the flat side of the knife, smash the garlic cloves, splitting the skins and releasing the oil for easy peeling. Mince the garlic cloves. Add ¼-½ tsp of salt to the garlic, hold the blunt side of the knife with both hands and with your knife at a slight angle, drag the sharp edge across the garlic (pulling towards you) to make a garlic paste.
- In a sauté pan, add ½ cup Spanish olive oil over medium heat and heat the oil for about 2 minutes. Test the heat by adding 1 dice of the green pepper; if the oil sizzles, it's ready. Add the rest of the diced peppers, onion, garlic paste, ½ tsp salt, ½ tsp pepper, and ½ tsp ground cumin. Stir frequently so that the garlic doesn't burn and cook until soft and the onions are translucent, approximately 6-8 minutes. This medley is known as sofrito.
- When the timer for the pressure cooker goes off, turn off the heat and wait until the pressure valve has completely collapsed before opening, indicating there isn't any more pressure inside, approximately 10 minutes.
- Remove the lid and taste the beans. They should be soft. If the beans are not soft, replace the lid and turn the heat to high, building the pressure back up. Cook for 15 more minutes and check again.If the beans are soft, turn the heat to medium-high, add ½ cup vino seco (dry cooking wine), sofrito from the sauté pan and, 3 culantro leaves and stir.
- Taste the beans for salt and add more if needed.
- Optional: add ½-1 tsp granulated sugar.
- Cook to thicken the beans. When the beans are done cooking, they should coat the mixing spoon.
Pro tips:
- If you soak the black beans overnight, you can cut the cooking time in step 5 down to 20 minutes.
- For a thicker consistency, using the mixing spoon, mash some beans along the sides of the pot and stir to combine.
- For black bean soup, don't thicken.
- When thickening the beans in step 13, leave the mixing spoon in the pot. This trick helps prevent the beans from boiling over.
Notes
- Sharpen your little chef(s) cognitive development by allowing them to sort through the beans.
- Point out any stones they may find and compare them to the beans.
- Allow them to get their hands on the beans for some sensory play.
- Instead of rinsing the beans in the pot, have your little chef(s) sort the beans from the bag into a colander, and they can rinse them under running water, sharpening their fine motor skills.
Did you make this recipe?
Please let me know how it turned out for you! Leave a comment below, tag @domesticgourmet on Instagram, and hashtag #domesticgourmet.
About the Author: Ciji Castro
Ciji Castro is the CEO and Executive Chef behind Domestic Gourmet, a premium food and lifestyle brand rooted in honoring ancestral cooking and Latin traditions. With a deep love for bold, heritage-inspired flavors and clean ingredients, Ciji leads the vision and culinary direction of Domestic Gourmet’s product line.
Her flagship product, 🌿 Domestic Gourmet Organic Annatto Oil (Aceite de Achiote), brings vibrant color and flavor to every dish—celebrating the flavors of her Cuban and Puerto Rican roots while meeting the standards of today’s health-conscious kitchens.
Through Domestic Gourmet, Ciji is on a mission to share the richness of cultural cooking with a modern and convenient twist—one thoughtfully crafted product at a time.
Follow along at @domesticgourmet for recipes, cooking tips, and more.
