1. Place the beans, ham hock, and bay leaves in a 3-quart saucepan. Pour in enough water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Skim off the foam that rises to the surface and then adjust the heat so that the liquid is simmering. Cook the beans until tender, adding water as necessary to keep the beans submerged as they cook, about 2 hours. Add less water during the last half hour or so of cooking. The idea is to end up with tender beans and just enough liquid to cover them. See Beans on page 96 for more pointers on cooking them.

2. Heat the oil in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Stir in the sofrito and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the sofrito begins to sizzle. Stir in the alcaparrado and cumin. Add the rice, salt, and pepper and stir until the rice is coated with oil and seasonings and turns chalky.

3. Drain the beans, saving ½ cup of liquid if you like. Stir the beans and culantro into the rice and then pour in the reserved cooking liquid, if using, and enough chicken broth to cover by the width of two fingers. Bring to a boil over high heat and boil without stirring until the level of the liquid reaches the rice. Give the rice a big stir, turn the heat to very low, and cover the pot. Cook until the liquid has been absorbed, about 20 minutes.

4. Uncover the pot, give the rice a big stir, bringing the rice on the bottom to the top, and serve.