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Gallo Pinto: A dish of possibilities

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While there are hundreds of homey beans and rice dishes to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month, we bring you a recipe that may not be as well known.

A large metal pot filled with Gallo Pinto

Gallo Pinto, an iconic dish from Costa Rica and Nicaragua, translates directly to “spotted rooster” due to its appearance. What makes Gallo Pinto special is its versatility, allowing for customization of the ingredients to create an assortment of unique flavors. While it is a delicious meal by itself, it is often paired with eggs and served as a breakfast dish. To make it sweeter, try adding plantains, or sour cream and avocado for a more savory bite.

This dish also offers a great opportunity to celebrate the abundance of locally grown produce this time of year. For this recipe, Hola Cultura collaborated with Eastie Farm, a community-based nonprofit and urban farm that works to improve food access and knowledge of local food systems. The two organizations brought its summer youth employees together to create this iconic dish and connect over a shared love of cooking and savoring food.

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Joella Orozco, a community engagement co-op student at Eastie Farm, led the meal production using corn, peppers and onions from Eastie Farm’s community-supported agriculture program. The CSA is a subscription that allows locals to enjoy fresh produce from farms throughout Massachusetts each year, May through November while paying what they can afford.

“Not only does it reduce food miles and carbon emissions,” Orozco said of CSAs, “it also helps the community eat more healthy and seasonally and supports Eastie Farm’s vision of bringing local and fresh food to the neighborhood.”

Here’s what you’ll need to make Gallo Pinto.

Gallo Pinto

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons of a neutral oil (vegetable, mild olive, canola)
  • 1 red bell pepper, chopped
  • 1 small yellow onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 2 cups of cooked black beans, in 3/4 cup reserved cooking liquid
  • 1/4 cup of Salsa Lizano
  • 3 cups of cooked rice, preferably day-old and refrigerated
  • 1/4 cup of chopped fresh cilantro
Joella Orozco, a community engagement co-op student, instructs our interns on making Gallo Pinto at Eastie Farm

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sauté chopped bell pepper and onions until peppers are soft and onions are translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes. Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant.
  2. Add black beans, reserved cooking liquid and salsa Lizano and stir to combine. Let simmer until slightly thickened and a bit of the liquid has evaporated.
  3. Stir in cooked rice and cook until heated through and most of the liquid is absorbed, about 3 to 5 minutes.
  4. Stir in chopped cilantro. Add more salsa Lizana if desired and enjoy!

Tips

  • Salsa Lizano is an essential ingredient for this dish. If it’s not already in your kitchen, check your local Latine market or international aisle at the supermarket. You can also purchase it online.
  • While it may not be as traditional, try including other vegetables to make your own variation of Gallo Pinto.
Our interns enjoy the Gallo Pinto they made at Eastie Farm

Sources

Reading List

Read the folktale of how Gallo Pinto received its name at vocal.media/feast/the-story-behind-gallo-pinto

– Story by Melody Marichalar

— Copy edited by Alexis Mackenzie and Valerie Izquierdo

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