Costa Rican Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday - I love cooking and have been known to spend weeks prior to the feast looking up creative spins on old favorite dishes.  And while I have a phenomenal recipe for scalloped herbed potatoes, that recipe must wait for another day…..this year we did Thanksgiving Costa Rican style! After spending the holiday week in the tropics of southern Central America, it is only fitting that I share two of my favorite Costa Rican dishes. 

When we were in Costa Rica we rented a house, which unbeknownst to us came with daily maid service.  Our housekeeper’s name was Shirly, and she was the sweetest lady you will ever meet.  Over the course of the week, Shirley and I became very close, and getting to know her was one of the highlights of my vacation.  Daily, she helped me with my Spanish and shared with us about the Costa Rican cultures and traditions.  On Thanksgiving morning, Shirly taught me how to make traditional Gallo Pinto with fresh chorredas, and we cooked a Thanksgiving breakfast feast for the whole family.  

Let me begin by saying that beans and rice will never just be beans and rice again!  After you go Gallo Pinto, you never go back! Gallo Pinto, literally translated “spotted rooster”, is one of Costa Rica's traditional dishes, and is essentially the best beans and rice you'll ever have.  Costa Ricans typically eat this dish for breakfast (when in Rome!), often with eggs and chorredas (corn pancakes).

I took notes as rapidly as I could while Shirly cooked these dishes, however, she didn't measure anything, so the amounts below are only estimates.

Gallo Pinto

• 2 cups dried black beans
• 2 cups white rice
• 1 onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 green chilies 
• 1/4 cup Salsa Lizano - this is a Costa Rican salsa.  It is so delicious that I considered buying it in bulk and shipping it home.  I'm not entirely sure how the dish will be without it.  I've read you can substitute Worcestershire (and I bet mixing Worcestershire with smoked Tabasco would be good).

Place the black beans in a large sauce pot and cover with water - soak for 20-24 hours.  Ensure that the beans remain covered with water but do not overfill as you will use the concentrated water-sludge in the dish.

Prepare the white rice (as directed on the package).  In the meantime, chop and saute the onion, garlic, and green chilies.  Combine the rice and the onion mixture to the sauce pot with the soaked beans.  Mix in the Salsa Lizano.  Top with sour cream and cilantro and serve!

Chorredas recipe to come!