Caraotas negras venezolanas

Caraotas negras are the beating heart of the Venezuelan table: glossy, savory-sweet black beans that anchor pabellón criollo, the national dish, and overflow from freshly toasted arepas with shredded white cheese. Once you make them properly, canned-beans-as-a-side never feels quite enough again.

Black beans have been cultivated in the Americas since pre-Columbian times, and every Venezuelan family has its own version of this recipe. The signature move is a touch of papelón (raw cane sugar) that rounds the beans out with a barely-there sweetness — the great Caracas debate is whether it belongs, and I say yes.

This version uses canned beans and a quick sofrito of bacon, onion, pepper and garlic, which gets you deep, simmered-all-day flavor in half an hour.

Caraotas Negras Recipe

Prep time: 20 minutes · Cook time: 30 minutes · Total: 50 minutes · Servings: 4 · Calories: ~265 per serving

Ingredients

• 2 slices bacon, finely chopped
• ½ large onion, finely chopped (about ¾ cup)
• ½ red and/or green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely grated panela/papelón, or brown sugar (optional)
• 2 cans (15.5 oz each) black beans
• Adobo all-purpose seasoning with pepper, to taste
• 3 sprigs fresh cilantro, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 oz queso blanco, grated, for serving

Instructions

1. Cook the bacon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat until the fat renders and it begins to crisp, about 7 minutes.
2. Add the onion, pepper and garlic and cook until softened and starting to brown, about 12 minutes.
3. Stir in the grated panela, if using.
4. Add the black beans, ¾ cup water and adobo seasoning, and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce to medium-low and simmer until the mixture thickens and the beans are heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.
6. Just before serving, stir in the cilantro and olive oil.
7. Serve topped with grated queso blanco.

Recipe Notes

• For a vegetarian version, skip the bacon and start the sofrito in a tablespoon of olive oil.
• Cumin, smoked paprika or a diced jalapeño deepen the flavor; diced ham or sausage make it heartier.
• No adobo? Season with garlic powder, onion powder, oregano, salt and pepper.
• Serve over rice with shredded beef and sweet plantains for a full pabellón criollo — or stuff into warm arepas.