Gallo Pinto with Bell Pepper

Ingredients

• 3 cups cooked rice, ideally day-old
• 1 can black beans, with ⅓ cup of their liquid
• 1 Bell Pepper, finely diced
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp Worcestershire or salsa Lizano if you can find it
• 2 tbsp neutral oil
• Big handful cilantro, chopped
• Fried eggs, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Soften the onion and Bell Pepper in the oil over medium heat until sweet and lightly golden, 4–5 minutes. Add the garlic for the final minute.
2. Add the beans WITH their reserved liquid and the Worcestershire. Simmer 2 minutes — that seasoned bean broth is what stains the rice its famous speckled brown.
3. Add the rice and toss until every grain is coated and heated through, 3–4 minutes. Day-old rice stays distinct; fresh rice turns porridgey (still edible, less pinto).
4. Let it sit untouched for 90 seconds at the end — the bottom layer crisps slightly, and those toasty bits are the cook's reward.
5. Fold in the cilantro and serve hot, with fried eggs on top if you're doing it right (yolk at 65°C-soft, whites set).