Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto (Costa Rican Rice and Beans)

The speckled everyday breakfast of Costa Rica, made by frying day-old rice with seasoned black beans, onion, sweet pepper and fresh coriander. Traditionally served with fried eggs, sour cream or natilla, and sweet fried plantains.

Prep

10 min

Cook

20 min

Total

30 min

Serves

4

Difficulty

Easy

Recipe ingredients

• •250 g (1¼ cups (uncooked)) cooked white rice, day-old, cold, preferably refrigerated overnight, or null
• •400 g (14 oz) cooked black beans, drained, with about 80 ml / ⅓ cup of the cooking liquid reserved, or null
• •30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil or pork lard, lard is most traditional; Costa Rican cooks often keep a jar of cooked pork fat (manteca) for this, or null
• •1 medium white onion, finely diced, or null
• •1 small red sweet pepper, ají dulce or bell pepper, finely diced, or null
• •2 cloves garlic, minced, or null
• •15 g (1 cup loosely packed) fresh coriander (cilantro), stems and leaves, finely chopped, or null
• •5 ml (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce, optional but very common in Costa Rican kitchens, or null
• •5 ml (1 tsp) Lizano salsa, the Costa Rican staple; substitute with a thin blend of Worcestershire + a splash of salsa inglesa + a pinch of sugar if unavailable, or null
• •salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Steps

1. 1 Heat the oil or lard in a large, wide skillet (preferably carbon steel or cast iron) over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and sweet pepper and cook, stirring often, for 5 to 6 minutes until softened and lightly golden at the edges.
2. 2 Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant, taking care not to brown it.
3. 3 Add the drained black beans along with about 80 ml (⅓ cup) of the reserved bean liquid. Smash roughly a quarter of the beans with the back of a spoon; this starchy liquid is what gives Gallo Pinto its characteristic creaminess and speckled look.
4. 4 Stir in the Worcestershire sauce and Lizano (or substitute). Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until the beans are heated through and the liquid has reduced slightly.
5. 5 Add the cold day-old rice, breaking up any clumps with your fingers or a spatula. Stir and fold gently so the grains stay intact rather than turning to mush.
6. 6 Cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 to 5 minutes until the rice is evenly speckled with beans and lightly toasted in spots. Taste and adjust salt.
7. 7 Off the heat, fold in the chopped coriander. Cover and let rest for 1 minute so the herbs wilt slightly.
8. 8 Serve immediately, traditionally accompanied by fried eggs (cook to your preference; yolks runny is typical), natilla or sour cream, and slices of ripe sweet plantain fried in a little oil until caramelized on both sides.