Tacu Tacu (Peruvian Rice and Bean Cake) Recipe

1. For the Beans: In a giant bowl, cowl beans with at least 2 inches chilly water. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and let soak at room temperature for a minimum of 8 and as a lot as 24 hours.
   

2. Swap beans and their soaking liquid to a giant pot, then prime up with ample water to cowl by about 2 inches. Ship to a boil, then reduce heat and cook dinner dinner at a simmer, stirring usually, until beans are very snug and creamy and ample have broken down that the cooking liquid has thickened to a creamy glaze, about 3 hours; add additional water, if wished at any degree, to forestall the beans from turning into overly dry. Season with salt, if wished.

3. In a small skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add bacon (if using), and cook dinner dinner, stirring, until fat begins to render, about 2 minutes. Add onion and cook dinner dinner, stirring, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in achiote paste, ají amarillo paste, and dried oregano, and cook dinner dinner for 2 minutes. Stir onion mixture into beans. Put apart.

4. For the Rice: In a 2-quart saucepan, heat oil and garlic over medium heat until garlic is fragrant and has misplaced its raw scent nevertheless not browned, about 1 minute. Add rice and cook dinner dinner, stirring, until coated in oil and heated by means of, 1 to 2 minutes. Add water, carry to a boil, then cowl, reduce heat to low, and cook dinner dinner until water is absorbed and rice is tender, quarter-hour. Fluff rice, season evenly with salt, then cowl and let stand for 10 minutes.
   

5. For the Zarza: In a small bowl, toss sliced onion with the ají amarillo pepper, and cilantro. Merely sooner than serving, toss with lime juice, a variety of drops of olive oil, salt and pepper, and flooring cumin.
   

6. For One Tacu Tacu Cake: In a small bowl, stir collectively beans with their creamy cooking liquid and rice; how so much rice you add will rely on how thick the bean cooking liquid has become (the thicker it is, the a lot much less rice you’ll have to thicken it) and personal alternative. In an 8- or 10-inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add rice-and-bean mixture, press proper right into a flat, spherical type, and cook dinner dinner, using a spatula to press and pack the mixture proper right into a thick disc type, until tacu tacu is browned on first facet, about 6 minutes.
   

7. Flip tacu tacu (each by inverting a plate over the skillet, flipping the tacu tacu onto the plate, and the sliding it once more into the skillet, or by launching it into the air and catching it once more inside the skillet, in case you are assured in your flipping experience). Proceed to cook dinner dinner, using the spatula to press the tacu tacu proper right into a disc type. Slide tacu tacu onto a plate and serve with zarsa and any sides of your choice (harking back to a fried egg, fried plantains, a seared or fried steak, or some leftover stew). Repeat with remaining rice and beans, if desired, to make additional tacu tacu as desired.

Make-Ahead and Storage

The beans and rice could also be made ahead and refrigerated individually for as a lot as 5 days (that it, in any case, what normally happens with the leftovers used to make tacu tacu).