Name: White beans with pork ribs and bacon (Fríjoles blancos con costilla de cerdo y tocineta)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 10 h 55 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 800 g dried white beans, rinsed and soaked overnight; 500 g meaty pork ribs, cut into 4–5 cm pieces; 250 g bacon, diced; 450 g onion, finely grated; 16 g garlic, finely chopped; 360 ml tomato sauce; 45 g panela, finely grated; 10 g fine salt; 2 g ground black pepper; 2400 ml water for cooking the beans, plus more as needed; Prepare white rice and warm arepas separately for serving; they are not included in the stew yield or nutrition estimate

Wide view of the Antioquian bean stew with pork ribs and bacon, served with rice and corn arepas.

Region Antioquia, Andean Colombia

Category White-bean and pork stew

Yield 8 portions

Preparation time 25 minutes

Active time 50 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

White beans with pork ribs and bacon (Fríjoles blancos con costilla de cerdo y tocineta)

Simmer Antioquian white beans with browned pork ribs and bacon in a gently sweet tomato sauce.

Colombia’s traditional-cooking inventory records this everyday Antioquian main course as white beans stewed with fried pork ribs and bacon, served with white rice and arepas. The cited cookbook recipe uses the same defining ingredients and gives a pressure-cooker method. This edition keeps that profile while separating the beans from the acidic tomato sauce until they are tender, which makes the timing more dependable and lets the cook respect the pressure cooker’s bean-fill limit.

The source gives salt and pepper to taste and does not specify a quantity for the accompaniments. The measured seasoning below is a practical starting point, not a claim that every Antioquian kitchen uses the same proportions. The stew is rich and substantial; serve it with freshly cooked rice and warm arepas prepared separately.

Soak the beans overnight in the refrigerator. Their age and variety affect cooking time, so use tenderness as the final test. Pressure cook them only in a cooker approved for beans, follow its instructions for release, and do not fill beyond the marked limit for foaming foods. A stovetop pot is a reliable alternative when the cooker is too small.

Ingredients

800 g dried white beans, rinsed and soaked overnight
500 g meaty pork ribs, cut into 4–5 cm pieces
250 g bacon, diced
450 g onion, finely grated
16 g garlic, finely chopped
360 ml tomato sauce
45 g panela, finely grated
10 g fine salt
2 g ground black pepper
2400 ml water for cooking the beans, plus more as needed
Prepare white rice and warm arepas separately for serving
they are not included in the stew yield or nutrition estimate

Method

Soak and rinse the beans Sort through the beans and discard any stones or damaged beans. Rinse them, cover with plenty of cold water, cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight. Drain and rinse again. Keep the soaking bowl in the refrigerator rather than on the counter.
Cook the beans until tender For a pressure cooker, add the beans and fresh water, keeping below the appliance’s marked limit for foods that expand or foam. Follow the manufacturer’s bean instructions and pressure-release method; some cookers require a maximum one-third fill for dried beans. Do not use a generic timing in place of the manual. If the cooker is too small, work in batches or simmer the beans in a covered pot. The beans are ready when several test beans are creamy inside and mash easily. Drain them, reserving the cooking liquid.
Render the bacon and brown the ribs While the beans cook, place the bacon in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Stir until its fat renders and the pieces begin to brown, about 8–10 minutes. Lift the bacon out with a slotted spoon. Raise the heat to medium and brown the ribs in the rendered fat in batches, turning so the surfaces color without scorching. If the pot holds a large pool of fat, spoon off the excess, leaving a thin coating. Transfer the ribs to a clean plate.
Build the sauce and combine Add the onion to the pot and cook, stirring, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the tomato sauce, add the panela, salt and pepper, and simmer for 8–10 minutes until the sauce smells mellow and thickens slightly. Return the ribs and bacon to the pot. Add the cooked beans and enough reserved bean liquid to make a thick, spoonable stew.
Simmer until the ribs are tender Bring the pot to a gentle simmer, partly cover and cook for 35–50 minutes, stirring carefully from the bottom now and then. Add hot water or bean liquid if the mixture becomes too thick before the ribs soften. Check a rib with a clean thermometer in the thickest meat, away from bone; whole pork cuts must reach at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes. For this stew, continue simmering until the meat is tender and the sauce clings to the beans. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with white rice and arepas.

Practical guidance

Practical

Ingredients

Prepare white rice and warm arepas separately for serving; they are not included in the stew yield or nutrition estimate.

Nutrition per serving

These rounded values estimate the recipe’s ingredients using dry white-bean and generic pork and bacon composition data. The edible yield of bone-in ribs, bacon brand, rendered fat left in the pot and tomato sauce sodium all vary. This is not a laboratory analysis.

Practical guidance

1. Soaking overnight shortens cooking and helps the beans soften evenly; discard the soaking water and rinse before cooking. 2. Cook the beans without tomato sauce first. Acidic ingredients can delay softening, so add the tomato base only after the beans are tender. 3. Pressure cookers differ. Follow the model’s capacity, timing and release instructions; dried beans foam and expand, so never overfill. 4. Check more than one bean before draining. If the centres are chalky, keep cooking and test again. 5. Brown the ribs in batches so they color instead of steaming. Remove excess rendered fat if the pot looks greasy. 6. Keep the finished stew thick but loose enough to spoon over rice; thin it with hot bean liquid a little at a time. 7. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within 2 hours. Use within 3–4 days and reheat throughout to 73.9°C.

Allergens and food safety

The listed stew ingredients do not declare a major allergen, but check labels on bacon, tomato sauce, panela and spices for added ingredients or cross-contact. This dish contains pork and is not vegetarian, vegan or halal. Keep raw pork and its plate separate from cooked food; wash hands and utensils after handling it. Cook whole pork pieces to at least 62.8°C and rest for 3 minutes; simmering the ribs until tender will usually take them above that minimum. Refrigerate the stew within 2 hours in shallow containers, keep it for 3–4 days and reheat to 73.9°C throughout. Follow the pressure-cooker manual for dried beans, including the fill limit and safe release procedure.

Final notes

1: White rice and arepas are the documented accompaniments; cook and serve them separately. 2: Bean age and cooker capacity can change the schedule, so plan extra time and rely on tenderness rather than the clock alone.

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1 of 8 portions of stew; excludes rice and arepas
Calories: 700 kcal
Carbohydrates: 65 g
Protein: 35 g
Fat: 28 g
Fibre: 15 g
Sodium: 1700 mg

White beans with pork ribs and bacon (Fríjoles blancos con costilla de cerdo y tocineta)

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Ingredients

Nutrition per serving

Practical guidance

Allergens and food safety

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Ripe pumpkin-seed stew (Guiso de pepas de calabaza madura)

Tunja-style fried pork chops (Chuletas de cerdo)

Antioquia baked cheese and shredded meat casserole (Fundido de queso y carne)