Mami’s Roast Pork and Black Bean

Ingredients:

• 5-, 6-pound pork loin roast
• 6-8 large cloves of garlic
• 1 teaspoon cumin seed (optional), to taste
• 3 medium lemons
• olive oil
• salt and black pepper

Preparation for “mojo” marinade:

1. Peel and mash garlic with cumin seed using mortar and pestle
2. Extract juice from lemons
3. Mix lemon juice with garlic/cumin-seed mixture
4. Add 1/8 cup of olive oil
5. Add black pepper and about 1 teaspoon salt
6. Cut all excess fat from pork and poke holes throughout (about 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches deep)
7. Rub mojo over pork, making sure to have it penetrate all holes. Put in shallow roasting pan and pour any remaining mojo over pork. Liberally add salt and black pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and marinate in refrigerator overnight or at least 3-4 hours so that pork absorbs as much marinade as possible. This will tenderize the pork and blend all flavors.
8. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
9. Roast covered pork for approximately 20 minutes per pound or until internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. (Remove foil for the last 30 minutes to brown.) Let stand 15 minutes before slicing.

Black Bean

• 1 16-ounce bag dry black beans
• 1 medium bay leaf
• 1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 6 medium garlic cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seed
• olive oil
• red wine vinegar
• salt and black pepper

Preparation:

1. Sort beans, removing small rocks or clumps of dirt. Wash several times in cold water. Drain and soak overnight in cold water or boil briskly until beans have slightly softened. (If more water is needed during the boiling process, add hot water or the beans will not soften.)
2. Lower heat and add bay leaf. Cook over medium heat, adding hot water as needed in order to keep beans covered.
3. Using mortar and pestle, mash garlic and cumin seeds.
4. Cover bottom of 10-inch frying pan with olive oil.
5. Saute bell pepper and onion until onions are almost translucent.
6. Add garlic/cumin-seed mixture and continue frying until all ingredients are thoroughly blended.
7. Add to beans and stir well. Add more hot water, if needed. Lower heat to simmer. Add about 2 teaspoons of salt and black pepper to taste. Simmer until beans are soft.
8. Just before beans are done, add small amount of red wine vinegar (about two shakes from the bottle) and stir.
9. Can be served as side dish with steamed long grain white rice or as a soup.