Basic Puerto Rican Rice Recipes

PUERTO RICAN RICE AND BEANS

Steps:

• Heat a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add pork and saute until browned, about 7 minutes. Stir in garlic and heat until fragrant. Add gandules, recaito, sazon seasoning, and olives. Reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add rice to the pot and stir to coat. Add 1 1/2 cans' worth of water; bring to a boil and cover. Simmer until rice has absorbed most of the liquid and formed a "crust" on the bottom, 20 to 30 minutes. Stir mixture near the top, avoiding the crust, after 20 minutes.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE)

Steps:

• Rinse rice well in water and set aside.
• In a medium caldero or large pot (about 6 quarts or so), heat oil and sauté sofrito until softened. Add tomato sauce and simmer for 2 minutes.
• Stir in gandules, alcaparrado, all of the spices and 4 cups of water. Taste and readjust seasonings, adding additional salt 1 teaspoon at a time. Broth should be heavily seasoned and on the salty side.
• Bring to a rapid boil, then add rice and stir. You may need to add more water to ensure rice is covered by 1 inch of water. Reduce heat to a soft boil and let most of the liquid absorb and evaporate, stirring occasionally, very gently, so rice does not turn gummy.
• Carefully mound rice towards center of pot, top with foil and cover with lid. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Stir by folding rice from the bottom up, but do not disturb bottom of pan. Cook for another 20-30 minutes, testing after 20 to see if rice is tender and cooked through.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)

Steps:

• Heat your caldero or Dutch oven to medium heat, and add your olive oil, bacon/ham (if using) and sofrito. Stir constantly until fragrant and tender, but not browned, about 4 minutes.
• Next add in the Sazon, tomato sauce or paste and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine.
• Add in the drained pigeon peas, Italian seasoning or oregano, bay leaves, and water/broth. Add the cilantro and/or olives, if using. Allow the liquid to come up to a boil, and taste it for salt. If it needs more saltiness, add in another chicken bouillon cube. You want this liquid to be highly seasoned, as it will determine the final seasoning of the rice.
• Once the mixture is boiling, add the rice. Stir the rice to get it submerged and distribute the pigeon peas throughout.
• Cover and allow the rice to absorb all the visible liquid. Once most of the visible surface liquid is absorbed, stir the rice, and cover again. Lower the flame to low, and allow it to steam for 20-25 minutes. It's done with all the liquid is absorbed and the grains are fluffy and fully cooked.

BASIC PUERTO RICAN RICE RECIPE

Steps:

• Rinse and drain rice, set to the side.
• Warm oil in a caldero over medium high heat.
• Add salted pork and cook for about two minutes before adding in sofrito and onions or chopped vegetables, except for garlic.
• Cook vegetables until softened, about 4 minutes, occasionally stirring.
• Add in garlic and cook for thirty seconds before adding in tomato sauce, seasonings, and cilantro.
• Let sauce come to a bubble and stir in rice.
• Stir rice occasionally for two minutes for the rice to absorb the sofrito sauce.
• Allow to cook about a minute, stirring occasionally before adding in the rice.
• Pour in chicken broth or water with chicken bullion.
• Bring the liquid to a boil and then lower to a steady simmer (think medium).
• Cook uncovered for 12-14 minutes not stirring until the water levels evaporate to where you see the top of the rice and it the rice looks like craters.
• Stir once and cover.
• Lower heat to low. DO NOT UNCOVER!
• Cook rice for twenty minutes. DO NOT TOUCH OR UNCOVER!
• After 20 minutes DO NOT UNCOVER YET, remove pot from heat and let it steam for about 15 minutes before uncovering.
• Uncover and gently fluff with a fork before serving.