Method

Rinse and soak beans with 1 hot pepper for a few hours or overnight.

Cook beans over medium-low heat in soaking water until soft.  Drain beans, saving 3 cups of the liquid.

Lightly toast cumin and oregano in a pan stirring constantly, until fragrant.

Starting with 2 tablespoons lard, saute pork over medium heat until it releases liquid.  Add onion, garlic, and remaining pepper and saute until onion is translucent; if pan gets dry, add 1 - 2 tablespoons more lard.

Add beans, saved cooking liquid, oregano, cumin, and salt; bring mixture to a boil.

Meanwhile, wash rice and fry uncooked over medium heat with 1 ounce bacon.

When bean mixture begins to boil, add rice and bacon.  Cover and cook over medium heat until rice is soft.

Saute remaining bacon; coarsely chop and use for garnish.

Variation: prepare as above, substituting black beans and fried crumbled pork rinds for red beans and bacon.

Reprinted with permission from © Peter Menzel and Faith D'Aluisio, Hungry Planet: What the World Eats, published by Ten Speed Press click for book review

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