Gallo Pinto

Instructions

1. 1 Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet or caldero over medium heat. Add the diced onion and green bell pepper, cooking for five minutes until softened and beginning to turn golden at the edges. Add the garlic and stir for one minute.
2. 2 Add the cooked red beans along with half a cup of their cooking liquid to the pan. Cook for five minutes, mashing about a quarter of the beans with the back of a wooden spoon to release starch and create a creamy sauce that will bind with the rice.
3. 3 Add the cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with a fork. Stir everything together over medium-high heat, folding the rice into the beans and vegetables until evenly distributed and the rice takes on a reddish hue from the bean liquid.
4. 4 Pour the Worcestershire sauce over the mixture and continue cooking and stirring for five more minutes. The rice should absorb the bean sauce and develop some toasted, slightly crispy bits on the bottom of the pan for extra flavour and texture.
5. 5 Season with salt and pepper to taste. The gallo pinto should be moist but not wet, with each grain of rice distinctly coated in the bean sauce. Some slightly crispy bits mixed throughout add desirable texture contrast to the soft beans.
6. 6 Serve the gallo pinto as the base of a Nicaraguan breakfast plate, accompanied by fried eggs with runny yolks, a dollop of sour cream, fried sweet plantains, and fresh tortillas. This dish is considered the national breakfast of Nicaragua.