Cuban Black Beans and Pork Tenderloin

I was chatting with Ms. Simone at work about recipes. I asked her how she made her beans because I love cuban black beans and she gave me her family recipe. I added cilantro, parsley and the paprika to her sazon.  Cuba is a Caribbean Island about 90 miles from Florida.  Cuban food has strong ties to southern Spain. Most of the immigrants to Cuba were from the Andalucia region in Spain. In addition, French colonists fleeing the uprising in Haiti and slaves from Africa have had a large influence on the culinary traditions in this fascinating country. The most common spices used in Cuban cuisine are cumin, oregano, bay leaves, and garlic.

Sazon Ingredients:

In a food processer blend the following-

1 sweet onion

4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp. olive oil

1 tbsp. oregano

1 green pepper

1tsp. of salt and pepper to taste

1 tsp. white wine vinegar

handful of fresh cilantro
handful of fresh parsley
tsp. paprika

Beans:

1 bag of dry black beans. Soak beans over night in cold water on the counter. Drain and rinse beans before cooking.

Cooking Options:

1. Crock pot- Add black beans and 1/2 of the sazon. Fill the crock pot with cold water to cover the beans. Add a little more water so that the water is about 2 inches above the beans. Stir well, and cook on high for 6 hours or until the beans are tender. 

2. Stove top- Saute 12 of the sazon on low for 5-8 minutes in a large pot. Add the beans and fill the pot with cold water. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer partially covered until the beans are tender and the liquid is reduced to the consistency that you like. (approximately 2 hours)

Pork Tenderloin:

Marinate the pork with the rest of the sazon above and a 1/2 cup of Goya Mojo Criollo sauce over night. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees or until the meat is 170 degrees. I baked the pork for 30 minutes covered and 30 minutes uncovered in a casserole dish with olive oil.