1 lb. of dried red beans
2 liters of water
1 teaspoon of salt or to taste (be careful with the Sazon it's also salty)
1 packet of Sazon with achiote
4 ounces of tomato sauce
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 potato (peeled and cubed)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
2 tablespoons of recaíto
1/2 lb. of cooking smoked ham (cut up into bite size pieces)
Procedure: In a pot to hold the beans and the 2 liters of water boil the beans for 45 minutes to an hour. The water will evaporate so after 20 minutes of cooking add more water, about 1 cup. When the beans are tender turn off the stove (don't discard the water).
In a frying pan add all the other add the olive oil (if you don't have olive oil use vegetable or corn oil) and heat. When the oil is hot add all of the other ingredients which will be the sofrito. Turn down the heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sofrito to the pot where the beans with the water are in. Turn on the heat again to medium and cook for an additional 20 or until the mixture becomes a bit thick not soupy. Make sure the potatoes are done.
Note: Instead of ham you can use chorizo (about 4 links chopped like a bit thicker than nickel's) and instead of potatoes you can use chunks of calabaza (pumpkin). Sometimes we add bollitos (optional) made with green plantain.
