Bandeja Paisa (Colombian Platter with Beans, Rice and Pork Belly)

• 300 g Dried kidney beans
• 1 large Yellow onion
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 60 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 tsp Ground cumin
• 2 tsp Fine sea salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 300 g Long-grain white rice
• 400 g Minced beef
• 500 g Pork belly, skin on
• 2 medium Plantain, ripe
• 1 large Avocado, ripe but firm
• 4 Egg

1. Rinse the dried kidney beans, then cover with plenty of cold water and soak for 8 to 12 hours. Drain and rinse well. Finely dice the onion and finely chop the garlic.
2. Put the soaked beans in a large pot and cover with fresh water by a few centimetres. Bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 60 to 75 minutes until tender, topping up with water as needed. Season with 1 tsp fine sea salt for the last 10 minutes of cooking.
3. While the beans cook, rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs mostly clear. In a saucepan, heat 15 ml vegetable oil over medium heat, stir in the rice for 1 minute, then add 600 ml water and 0.5 tsp fine sea salt. Bring to the boil, cover, reduce to low and cook for 12 minutes, then rest off the heat for 10 minutes.
4. Cut the pork belly into thick strips. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, add the pork belly and cook, turning often, for 20 to 30 minutes until the fat has rendered and the outside is deeply golden and crisp. Transfer to a plate and season with a pinch of fine sea salt and a little black pepper.
5. Pour off all but 2 tbsp of the pork fat from the pan, then add 15 ml vegetable oil if the pan looks dry. Add the onion with a pinch of fine sea salt and cook over medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until softened. Stir in the garlic and ground cumin and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant.
6. Add the minced beef to the onion mixture and cook over medium-high heat for 6 to 8 minutes, breaking it up, until browned and any liquid has evaporated. Season with 0.5 tsp fine sea salt and 0.5 tsp black pepper. Keep warm on low heat.
7. When the beans are tender, drain, reserving a little of the cooking liquid. Return the beans to the pot and stir in half of the beef-onion mixture, adding a splash of reserved liquid to make them creamy but not soupy. Taste and adjust with a little more fine sea salt and black pepper if needed.
8. Peel the plantains and cut on a diagonal into 1.5 to 2 cm slices. In a clean frying pan, heat 30 ml vegetable oil over medium heat and fry the plantain slices for 2 to 3 minutes per side until golden and caramelised. Drain briefly on a plate.
9. Wipe out the pan, then heat the remaining 15 ml vegetable oil over medium heat. Fry the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, seasoning lightly with fine sea salt and black pepper. If you prefer firmer yolks, cover the pan for the last minute.
10. Halve, stone and slice the avocado. Fluff the rice with a fork. To serve, divide rice and beans between four plates, then add the minced beef, crisp pork belly, fried plantain and a fried egg to each plate, finishing with avocado on the side.

Made this recipe? Rate it — a comment is optional.