Puerto Rican Tiny Beans

Chef Margot shares her favorite tiny beans, Puerto Rican style!

Ayers Creek Farms has these adorable teeny-tiny red beans that are great done Puerto-Rican style. You may omit the bacon if you absolutely must, but it won’t be Puerto-Rican without the pork!

Ingredients
2 cups tiny red beans, rinsed well and picked over
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup minced white onion
3 cloves minced fresh garlic
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded, chopped fine
1 rib celery, strings removed, chopped fine
1 bay leaf
2-4 slices thick bacon, chopped
1 to 1 ½ quarts water or unsalted stock (veggie or meat)
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
Salt to taste
Optional garnishes: fresh avocado slices, cilantro leaves, sour cream, crispy pork chops!

Directions:
In a large heavy-bottomed pot, heat olive oil until just shimmering. Add garlic, onion, tomato, celery, bay leaf and bacon; cook until soft, stirring often so it doesn’t get brown. Add beans and water or stock; bring to a boil; skim foam and lower heat to a simmer.

Cook beans just until tender, about 20 minutes.

Taste and season with salt and lime juice. Outstanding served with crisp pork chops or roast pork of any type; also good with tempeh (omitting bacon in recipe) that’s been marinated in something tangy and grilled.

Buen Provecho!