Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Beans and Rice)
By Dominique KhouryPublished on December 4, 2023
Time
1½ hours, plus 8 hours soaking
Yield
Serves 4 to 6
Ingredients
¾ cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed½ teaspoon table salt for brining30 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)8 sprigs fresh thyme 2 bay leaves 3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil, divided1 large white onion, chopped fine (1½ cups), divided6 garlic cloves, minced, divided1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided1 teaspoon chili powder ½ teaspoon pepper ½ teaspoon ground coriander ½ teaspoon ground cumin 1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1⅓ cups), divided1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups), divided3 tablespoons Salsa Lizano, plus extra for serving3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, coldHot sauce
Before You Begin
This recipe requires soaking the beans overnight. Day-old rice works best; in a pinch, cook the rice 2 hours ahead, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet, and let it cool before chilling it for 30 minutes. Worcestershire sauce can replace Salsa Lizano.
Instructions
- Combine 1 quart cold water, beans, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl, and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Remove thick stems from cilantro sprigs and reserve. Chop leaves and thin stems fine (you should have about ¾ cup) and refrigerate until needed. Using kitchen twine, tie reserved stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
- Melt 1 tablespoon lard in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add half of onion, half of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, chili powder, pepper, coriander, and cumin, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Increase heat to high; add drained beans, cilantro bundle, and 1¾ cups water; and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat; and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 1 to 1¼ hours. Remove from heat. (Beans can be refrigerated in their cooking liquid for up to 3 days.) Strain beans through fine-mesh strainer, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons lard in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup yellow bell pepper, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining onion, and remaining garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 10 minutes. Stir in Salsa Lizano. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly and breaking up rice clumps until mixture is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add beans and reserved cooking liquid. Gently fold beans into rice until combined and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, add reserved chopped cilantro and remaining bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing hot sauce and Salsa Lizano separately.
Time
1½ hours, plus 8 hours soakingYield
Serves 4 to 6Ingredients
¾ cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
½ teaspoon table salt for brining
30 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil, divided
1 large white onion, chopped fine (1½ cups), divided
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1⅓ cups), divided
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups), divided
3 tablespoons Salsa Lizano, plus extra for serving
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cold
Hot sauce
Ingredients
¾ cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
½ teaspoon table salt for brining
30 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil, divided
1 large white onion, chopped fine (1½ cups), divided
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1⅓ cups), divided
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups), divided
3 tablespoons Salsa Lizano, plus extra for serving
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cold
Hot sauce
Ingredients
¾ cup dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
½ teaspoon table salt for brining
30 sprigs fresh cilantro (1 bunch)
8 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
3 tablespoons lard or vegetable oil, divided
1 large white onion, chopped fine (1½ cups), divided
6 garlic cloves, minced, divided
1¼ teaspoons table salt, divided
1 teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground cumin
1 large red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1⅓ cups), divided
1 large yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and cut into ¼-inch pieces (about 1¼ cups), divided
3 tablespoons Salsa Lizano, plus extra for serving
3 cups cooked long-grain white rice, cold
Hot sauce
Why This Recipe Works
Gallo pinto, the national dish of Costa Rica, is traditionally made from leftover rice and beans cooked anew with spices, onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro. To infuse the dish with maximum bean flavor, we opted to use dried black beans, soaking them overnight to soften them. The next day, we cooked the beans in a lightly flavored, scant amount of liquid to make a concentrated bean broth. We used leftover rice as the base of the dish, as day-old rice would absorb the bean broth and other flavors more readily. We finished the dish with finely chopped fresh bell peppers for subtle vegetal sweetness, a shower of fresh cilantro for freshness, and a few dashes of the bottled Costa Rican condiment Salsa Lizano for a final touch of bracing acidity.
Want more? Read the whole storyBefore You Begin
This recipe requires soaking the beans overnight. Day-old rice works best; in a pinch, cook the rice 2 hours ahead, spread it on a rimmed baking sheet, and let it cool before chilling it for 30 minutes. Worcestershire sauce can replace Salsa Lizano.
Instructions
- Combine 1 quart cold water, beans, and ½ teaspoon salt in bowl, and soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Remove thick stems from cilantro sprigs and reserve. Chop leaves and thin stems fine (you should have about ¾ cup) and refrigerate until needed. Using kitchen twine, tie reserved stems, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves into bundle.
- Melt 1 tablespoon lard in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add half of onion, half of garlic, 1 teaspoon salt, chili powder, pepper, coriander, and cumin, and cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Increase heat to high; add drained beans, cilantro bundle, and 1¾ cups water; and bring to boil. Cover; reduce heat; and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are just soft and liquid begins to thicken, 1 to 1¼ hours. Remove from heat. (Beans can be refrigerated in their cooking liquid for up to 3 days.) Strain beans through fine-mesh strainer, reserving ½ cup of cooking liquid.
- Melt remaining 2 tablespoons lard in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 cup red bell pepper, 1 cup yellow bell pepper, remaining ¼ teaspoon salt, remaining onion, and remaining garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and lightly browned, 10 minutes. Stir in Salsa Lizano. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly and breaking up rice clumps until mixture is heated through, 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add beans and reserved cooking liquid. Gently fold beans into rice until combined and warmed through, 1 to 2 minutes. Off heat, add reserved chopped cilantro and remaining bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve, passing hot sauce and Salsa Lizano separately.
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