In a pressure cooker, add half a pound of beans, 7 cups of water, two tablespoons of olive oil and one teaspoon of cumin. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes.

Once done, strain the beans from the liquid and set both aside. (The beans shouldn’t be fully cooked, they will finish cooking once added to the rice. The black water, will give the rice its color)

Cut six bacon strips into one inch slices and add to a pot over medium heat. Cook for about 8 minutes, until they’re crispy.

While the bacon is cooking, dice your onions, green peppers, and garlic to make your sofrito. Once the bacon is done, remove the bacon and set aside. Increase the heat to medium-high. Using the oil left over from the bacon, add your sofrito and cook for 3-5 minutes.

Once your sofrito is done, add your washed parboiled rice and two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir the rice into the sofrito and allow it to absorb the oil and sofrito juices. This takes about 2-3 minutes, and you will notice that the rice will start to slightly clump up.

Add five cups of the water that was drained from the pressure cooker to the rice. Add the strained black beans.

Now add your salt, black pepper, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. Stir and bring to a boil.

Once boiling, lower the heat to a simmer, cover, and allow it to cook until all the water is absorbed, about 20 minutes. You may stir the rice a few times to prevent it from sticking on the bottom.

Once all the water is absorbed, add your bacon back in, stir and serve. Enjoy!