Cuban recipe

Cuban Completa with Italian-Style Liver, White Rice, Black Beans and Fried Ripe Plantains

Name: Cuban Completa with Italian-Style Liver, White Rice, Black Beans and Fried Ripe Plantains
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 120 min
Ingredients: 1 cup dried black beans (about 200 g), soaked since the night before; 6 cups water for boiling the beans; 1 bay leaf; 3 tablespoons olive oil; ½ onion, finely chopped; ½ green bell pepper, finely chopped; 3 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ teaspoon ground cumin; ½ teaspoon dried oregano; 1 tablespoon vinegar; 1 teaspoon sugar; Salt to taste (about 1½ teaspoons); 600 g cleaned beef liver, cut into thin strips; 3 tablespoons olive oil; 2 large onions, cut into thin strips; 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips; 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips; 4 garlic cloves, crushed; ¼ cup dry wine; Salt to taste (about 1 teaspoon); Ground black pepper to taste; 2 cups rice; 4 cups water; 2 tablespoons oil; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; 2 teaspoons salt; 3 very ripe plantains, cut into slices; 1 cup oil for frying (approximately); 1 pinch of salt

Italian-style beef liver with onion and pepper, fluffy white rice, stewed black beans and fried ripe plantains: a Cuban Completa combination plate.

CiberCubaNovember 11, 2026

AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Preparation30 min
Cooking1 h 30 min
Total time2 h
Servings4 servings
DifficultyMedium

The Cuban Completa is a combination plate for the Sunday table where nothing is missing: white rice, black beans, a main dish with its little sauce, and golden fried ripe plantains. Here the star is Italian-style liver, a very Cuban way of cooking beef liver in strips, sautéed with garlic, onion, pepper and a splash of dry wine.

The key is having four preparations cooking at the same time and reaching the table together. With a little organization, while the beans boil and stew, you get ahead on the liver, get the rice going and leave the ripe plantains for the end, nice and hot.

Method

Black beans

Wash the beans and let them soak in plenty of cold water for 8-12 hours in the refrigerator.
Drain and rinse the beans. Put them in a pot with the 6 cups of fresh water and the bay leaf, bring to a boil and continue at a gentle simmer for about 60-75 minutes or until tender. Add hot water if needed.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Heat the oil for the sofrito and cook the onion, pepper and garlic over medium heat until softened. Add the cumin and oregano and mix.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Add the sofrito to the tender beans along with the vinegar, sugar and salt. Cook over low heat for about 20 more minutes, until the broth thickens. Remove the bay leaf and adjust the salt.

White rice

While the beans finish, heat the oil for the rice with the garlic without burning it. Add the rice and stir for one minute.
Add the water and salt and bring to a boil uncovered. When the liquid has almost been absorbed, reduce to the lowest heat, cover and cook 15-18 minutes or until tender. Let rest 5 minutes covered and fluff with a fork.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Italian-style liver

Keep the liver refrigerated until cooking it. Remove the membranes and sinews, cut into thin, even strips and season with salt and pepper. Afterward, wash your hands, cutting board and utensils that touched the raw liver.
Heat part of the oil in a large skillet. Sauté the onion and peppers over medium-high heat for about 5-8 minutes, until tender. Add the garlic for the last minute and move the vegetables to a clean plate.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba
Add the rest of the oil and cook the liver in batches, in a single layer, turning it so it cooks evenly. When it is almost cooked, add the vegetables and the wine and let it reduce. Check for at least 71.1 °C (160 °F) in the center of the thickest strips with a thermometer; cook longer if needed. Remove once that temperature is reached and serve right away.
AI-generated image.CiberCuba

Fried ripe plantains

Peel the plantains and cut them into 1 cm diagonal slices. Fry in batches over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden, without letting the oil smoke.
Drain on paper towels and add a pinch of salt, optional. Keep warm until serving.

Assembly

Serve white rice, black beans with their broth, liver with onions and peppers, and fried ripe plantains on the same plate.

Tips and variations

Cooking the liver: remove the membranes and sinews and cut strips of even thickness. Cook until it reaches at least 71.1 °C (160 °F) in the center, checked with a thermometer. It is not enough for it to lose its pink color on the outside, nor should you set a time limit in minutes that prevents the cooking from being completed. Remove it from the heat once cooked to avoid drying it out.

Organization and timing: soak the beans for 8 to 12 hours in the refrigerator starting the night before. The 2 hours indicated do not include that soaking and are approximate, with the preparations done in parallel. If the beans take longer to soften, increase the total time. Cook the liver last, when the rice and sides are almost ready.

In a hurry: you can use about 3 cups of already cooked black beans, drained and rinsed. Add about 1 cup of water or broth to the sofrito, adjust according to the consistency and cook for about 20 minutes.

Ripe plantains: use very ripe plantains and fry them in batches over medium heat without letting the oil smoke.

Wine and storage: to omit the alcohol, replace the ¼ cup of wine with the same amount of broth. Cooking does not guarantee that all the alcohol is eliminated. Refrigerate the cooked components promptly in shallow containers, preferably eat within 1-2 days and reheat until 74 °C in the center. The liver and the fried ripe plantains are best freshly made.