https://www.instagram.com/reel/DRhyf1Ikake/Pollo Tropical Black Beans My Own Way Biko
Ah, bros. You still dey disturb me about this beans? Okay okay. I hear you.
I never even drink my tea this morning.
So. I go tell you how I do am. No story. No long grammar.
The ingredients simple
You get two cans of black beans. Any brand. Goya? Fine. If you no get Goya, shoprite one works.
Now hear me. Do not drain the water inside the can. That black water? That’s your sauce. If you pour am away, your beans go come out like sand. I try am one time. My customer say “chef, this one dry o.” I just laugh. But inside I been cry.
Onion. Half of one white onion. Chop am small small. No big pieces. If you chop am big, when person chop the beans, e go bite raw onion. That one no good.
Green pepper. Just one quarter. Chop am same size like the onion.
Garlic. Three cloves. But listen to me. Two cloves go inside first. One clove you keep for the end. I go explain later. Just keep am.
How I cook am
Put your pot on fire. Medium heat. Pour oil. Olive oil if you get. Any oil if you no get.
When oil hot, throw your onion and pepper inside. Stir am. Cook until e soft. Maybe four minutes. Five minutes. If e start to turn black, your fire too high. Reduce am. I burn this thing last week. I dey talk for phone. Next thing I smell smoke. Eh, the pepper don black finish. I just throw everything away. My wife vex.
When the onion clear like glass, you know add the dry stuff.
Chicken bouillon. One teaspoon. Knorr. Or maggi. Just crumble am.
Cumin. Small small. Like quarter teaspoon. If you put plenty, your beans go smell like person wey no bathe.
Oregano. Half teaspoon.
Black pepper. Just two shake.
Stir everything. Cook for thirty seconds. You go smell am. Sweet smell. But no leave am. That bouillon go burn quick quick. I leave am one time go open door for delivery. When I come back, the bottom of the pot don black like tire. I scrub am for one hour.
Now pour the two cans of beans inside. Water and all.
Add one cup of water. Ordinary tap water.
Add one teaspoon of tomato paste. Not more. If you add plenty, the beans go taste like spaghetti. Nobody want that.
Add two bay leaves. Remember to remove am before serving. I forget sometimes. My customer bite am and ask “chef, wetin be this?” I just look away.
Stir everything well. Smash the tomato paste clumps against the side of the pot. If clumps remain, one mouth go get too much tomato, next mouth get nothing. That one no balance.
Simmering time
Make the pot bubble small. Not strong bubble. Just gentle bubble.
Then reduce fire to low. Cover pot but leave the lid open small. Steam must escape.
Leave am for twenty minutes. Set your timer. I no dey set timer. I go forget. I go go watch football. Then the beans go burn. So set timer.
After twenty minutes, taste one bean. E should be soft but still whole. When you bite am, the skin go pop small. If e still hard, add ten minutes more. If e don turn to mush, you cook am too hot. That one na your fault. Next time reduce fire.
I learn this thing the hard way. The beans go thick as they cool. So when e hot for pot, e should look like water small. If e already thick like pap for pot, add quarter cup of water. I no add one time. The beans turn to like eba. My friend say “chef, this one na bean paste?” I just laugh but my heart break.
The magic finish
Turn off the fire. Remove pot from fire.
Remember that one clove of garlic wey you keep? Mash am with flat of your knife. Then chop am very small. Throw am inside the beans now. Raw. No cook am again. The heat from the beans go warm am but the sharpness go remain. That sharpness na the Pollo Tropical secret.
Add chopped cilantro. Handful. If you no like cilantro, skip am. No problem.
Add half teaspoon of red wine vinegar. Add half teaspoon of brown sugar.
Stir.
Now taste.
You must taste garlic first. Sharp sharp. Then the beans. Then sweet and sour small. If you no taste garlic, you no mash am well. Or your beans still too hot when you add am. Next time wait two minutes before you add.
Remove the bay leaves. I beg you. Nobody wants to bite leaf.
If you mess up I don judge you
Too salty? Add water and pinch of sugar. Sugar hides salt.
Too thin? Simmer with lid open for five minutes.
Too thick? Add water small small.
Forget the raw garlic? Mash one clove and stir inside the leftover. No perfect but e go work.
How to keep am
Fridge. Five days. Tight container.
Freezer. Three months. Put for small containers. If you put for one big container, you go need hammer to break am. I use knife once. Almost cut my hand.
Reheat. Microwave. Cover bowl. Two minutes, stir, then one minute. Or stove. Low fire. Add water small. Cover.
When you reheat, add another small vinegar. The acid go fade for fridge. This new vinegar go bring am back to life.
What to eat am with
Rice. Chicken. Plantain. Egg. Tacos. Anything.
No do these things
No blend the beans. E go turn to sand. I try am. E no good.
No skip vinegar. Use lime if you hate vinegar. But use something. Without acid, the beans go taste like sand wey you wash. Dirt.
No use dried beans if you no get time. I use dried beans one time. I soak overnight. I cook for two hours. My back ache. The final result? Same thing as canned beans. Waste of time.
Biko. I finish. My pot don almost burn again because I dey type this message for you. Go make the beans. If you forget the raw garlic, no call me for one week.
Your boy.
