A Costa Rica Breakfast Staple: Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto (pronounced guy-o pinto) is Costa Rica’s most well-known comfort food. This dish is made of rice and beans and is usually served as part of breakfast to go with your eggs, sausage or cheese.

Gallo Pinto is not unique to Costa Rica and many other countries have their own version - in Cuba and Spain they call it ‘Moros y Cristianos’, in Jamaica and on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica it’s ‘Rice & Beans’ (with coconut milk) and you can even find a version of it in New Orleans. An interesting side note is that in Costa Rica, black beans are by far the most popular while in other Latin American countries red beans are preferred.

As with potato salad in the United States, there are many variations on the same theme and everyone gives Gallo Pinto their own special twist.

Here is my version of Gallo Pinto:

Prep-Work:
Cook about 3 cups of white rice. You don’t need to add anything fancy, just a bit of oil and salt is fine.

Prepare 1.5 - 2 cups of uncooked beans beforehand by letting them to soak in water overnight or for at least 8 hours. Add enough water to cover the beans by at least 2-3 centimeters (1 inch). Add a few cloves of garlic, a pinch of salt and a couple of bay leaves to the uncooked beans to give them some flavor as they cook. Beans are notoriously tough to cook so if you have a pressure cooker this is the perfect time to use it – it’ll save you time and save energy. Regular stovetop cooking time could be anywhere from 2-3 hours vs. about 20 minutes in a pressure cooker. Cook the beans until tender but still firm.

WARNING: Pressure cookers can be dangerous if used incorrectly, so read your user’s manual or ask your Tico neighbor for help.

Ingredients:
• 1 small or medium red bell pepper, diced
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2-3 bay leaves, whole
• Salt, pepper, cumin and Salsa Lizano to taste
• Half a bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Optional Ingredients: A pinch of red pepper flakes to add some heat. I sometimes add some dry coconut shavings and/or coconut milk to the beans for a Caribbean flavor. This is not the traditional way of making ‘Rice & Beans’ but it’s an easy alternative.

Directions:
Over medium-high heat, in a large skillet, combine the olive oil, bell pepper and onion and cook them until golden brown. Add the cooked beans, including all the water the beans cooked in - there’s lots of flavor and vitamins there. Bring to a boil then lower the heat to simmer. Add all your other spices to the mix (except for the cilantro) and stir constantly until most of the water has evaporated. While your beans are still moist, add the white rice you prepared beforehand and blend it all together. I prefer about equal quantities of rice and beans, but some people prefer more rice than beans. My theory is that since rice is cheaper than beans, most people use a larger quantity of rice to make the most of their colones.

Right before you serve, mix in the chopped cilantro and enjoy! You can even add a spoonful of natilla (sour cream) on top if you’re feeling decadent.

Time Saving Tip: As making the beans is the most time-consuming part, sometimes I make extra and freeze half. Then when I’m in the mood all I need to do is defrost the beans and make a quick pot of rice.

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John D. Kloninger is a online marketer Living in Costa Rica. Born in California, he grew up in San Jose and then went on to University in Honolulu, HI and Boston, MA. You can contact him at jkloninger@gmail.com.

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Filed under: Tico on March 4th, 2008