1

lb

black beans

2

smoked pork hocks

2

bell peppers - large,( 1 red & 1 green ) chopped - very large pieces

2

chipotle peppers, roughly shredded - big pieces

2

large onions, chopped - very large pices

1

lb

salt pork

4

cups

chicken stock

4

cups

water approx.

4

large garlic cloves, finely minced

1

(8 oz.) can tomato paste

2

Tbls Jerk rub

1

tsp

cumin

2

Tbls. oregano

1

bay leaf, crumbled very fine

~ Salt and pepper to taste

1

Sort and soak beans overnight, then drain and discard the water used for soaking.

2

Dice and fry the salt pork in the pot. In the pork fat, sauté the garlic, onion, jerk rub and peppers.

3

Add the tomato paste and cook for a few minutes.

4

Add the oregano, crumpled bay leaf, and cumin. cook another minute or two

5

Now add the chicken stock to the pot and stir to mix everything together

6

Add the beans and hocks to the pot and add any left over stock and water to the pot. Make sure to add enough water that the beans are completely covered by about 1/2 inch of water.

7

Now once this is all mixed together, bring the pot up to a boil, then turn down the heat and simmer covered for about 2 hours. Onion and peppers should be soft and beans mash easily with a fork

8

Now you make a sofrito. With a slotted spoon, scoop out all the chunks of peppers, onion, 1/4 cup of the beans, and a little juice. Put into a blender or food processor and puree the mix.

9

Now add the sofrita back into the pot. Stir well to get it mixed in. this will thicken it slightly when cooked. check taste and add salt, pepper, or rub to taste

10

Bring everything back to a boil and then turn down heat and simmer in a covered for about 1½ hours. Add more water if necessary; keep it soupy.

11

When the cooking is done, mash the some of the beans ( do small amounts and stir in well ) with a fork or potato masher until the soup is creamy and has the consistency you want.