Stew Beans and Rice (Belize)

The foundation of Belize Cuisine, the famous Rice and Beans cooked in coconut milk and served with your favorite meat accompanied by potato salad. Although originally considered primarily a Creole dish, today it’s eaten daily by all and is simply called Belizean rice and beans. While, of course, nobody can make rice-and-beans as delicious as the grandmother of the first Belizean you ever talk to, the following is pretty much a recipe for a successful ‘beans’ as it is commonly called by weekend partygoers when they stop to purchase a plate late night in downtown Belize City from a variety of street-side sellers.

1 lb. red kidney beans
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. sea salt
1 cup coconut milk, squeezed from grated coconut or canned
½ tsp. black pepper, freshly cracked
½ tsp. thyme
2 lbs. rice
1 medium onion, sliced
6-8 cups water
1 small pigtail, salt beef or pieces of bacon (optional)

Wash the beans, then soak beans for 4 hours, using the 6-8 cups of water. If you are using distilled water, then soaked beans only needs 2 hours to soften.

Boil beans until tender, with the garlic, onion and pig’s tail/or salted beef or bacon pieces. Note: pre-wash the pigtail or salt beef and cut off excess fat. You can use a pressure cooker to cut down on the time.

Season beans with black pepper, thyme and salt. Note: You may opt not to add the salt if you used salt beef or pigtail above.

Add coconut milk. Stir and then let boil.

Add rice to seasoned beans. Stir, then cover. Cook on low heat until the water is absorbed and rice is tender. If necessary, add more water gradually until rice is tender. Note: Usually, one cup of rice absorbs two cups of water, although rice grains can vary in the amount of water they absorb. To warm up leftover rice-and-beans, you can sprinkle with water to re-moisten.