Gallo Pinto will change the way you look at rice and beans

Gallo pinto is something that is dear to me. It's tradition. It's a means of connecting to an important part of who I am. Like my fiancé's family cornbread recipe is to her, my abuelita's gallo pinto recipe is to me. They are the starchy building blocks of our respective culinary souls.

Gallo pinto is a Central American dish of rice and beans that is particularly important to the cultures of Nicaragua and Costa Rica. My mother taught me how to make gallo pinto, just like hers taught her before me. It also heats up incredibly well, so it makes for the perfect meal prep for a busy week. You can eat it with any type of protein or veggie, leaving you with endless options. Simply plug it into a meal and you're good to go.

Gallo pinto is the type of food where you're going to find a lot of differing recipes. It's made differently in Costa Rica and Nicaragua, with the Nicaraguan version of the dish keeping it simple with minimal ingredients, while the Costa Rican variation brings a bunch of veggies into the mix.

The recipe I'm about to show you will be a Nicaraguan version of gallo pinto, as I'm Nicaraguan myself. While this recipe is simple, it's going to be a weekend affair because of the time that it takes to make. Luckily, it is a very hands off recipe, leaving you to go about your day around the house while

you're preparing your gallo pinto.

Ingredients:

• 1 14oz package of Goya Central American red kidney beans (check the international aisle or your local latin market)

• 3 cups of uncooked long-grain white rice

• 1 medium/large yellow onion, diced

• 6 cloves of garlic

• 3 bay leaves

• 2 ounces of canola/vegetable oil (OR substitute with any neutral oil)

• Kosher salt to taste

The Process:

Step one: Begin with soaking your beans overnight before the day you plan on making gallo pinto. (If you forget to do this, don't sweat it. What you can instead do is take your beans and cover them with water, until the water level is about 4 inches over the beans, before bringing them to a boil. Once they reach a boil, turn off the heat, cover the pot with a lid, and let it sit for an hour. This will have a similar effect to leaving them soaking overnight. This will make the cooking time on the beans faster and ensure they come out with the right texture.)

Step two: After you have soaked your beans, drain the water that remains and fill the pot back up. Make sure you are filling the pot so the water level is about 3-4 inches above the beans.

Step three: Take 3 cloves of garlic and smash them, leaving them whole, before adding them to the pot. Add 3 bay leaves to the pot of beans as well, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and leave covered for approximately 2-3 hours. (Start checking on the beans at the two hour mark. The last thing you want are undercooked beans for gallo pinto. I suggest getting hands on when checking if they're ready. Fish one out of the pot with a spoon, let it cool for a minute or two, and test it between your thumb and index finger. It should smash with little resistance, the bean should not feel gritty against your skin. If in doubt, pop one into your mouth and try the texture, you'll know when it's right. The extra effort is worth ensuring all of your time didn't go to waste on undercooked beans.)

Step four: Once your beans are cooked, remove them from the heat. Discard the bay leaves and the smashed garlic. Salt to taste, and once satisfied, reserve 6 cups of the leftover liquid from cooking your beans. You will be using this to cook your rice in. It will enhance both the color and the flavor of the end product.

Step five: Cook your rice however you'd like, whether it be in a pot on the stove or in a rice cooker. The key thing here is to use the liquid reserved from cooking the beans to cook the rice. After your rice is finished cooking, you'll note the reddish-brown hues imparted on it. We're now ready to assemble the gallo pinto.

Step six: In a large pot, sauté your diced onion in some neutral oil until it is fragrant and translucent, about 5 minutes. Once it is translucent, add your garlic until aromatic, stirring constantly to avoid burning, for about 2-3 minutes. Then add your beans and your rice, mixing thoroughly.

Step seven: After it is thoroughly mixed, taste it again and make sure it doesn't need any more salt. If you're happy with the result, it's time to plate it up. I love the versatility that gallo pinto brings. Serve it with a protein and a salad or in any other instance where you'd be having rice and beans.

Gallo pinto stores incredibly well. This recipe will comfortably feed a family of four, so if you have leftovers, don't hesitate to freeze them. There's something about gallo pinto that always makes it reheat back to a glorious state. I hope you enjoy!