Gandule Rice Recipe 45

Steps:

• Wash and cook rice in rice cooker. It is recommended to use dry cooked rice versus sticky cooked rice. In a separate large pot, add olive oil and heat. Do not fry pork, allow to simmer. Add cilantro, bell pepper, tomato paste, chicken broth, garlic, salt, cumin and oregano to the pork. Continue to simmer. Once pork mixture is fully cooked, begin ʻtaste testingʻ to determine if more spices are needed. If your mixture is to your liking add pigeon peas (gandules) and olives. Turn heat down to low and prepare achiote oil. To make the achiote oil, put vegetable oil in a sauce pan and allow to heat. Once the oil is heated add the achiote seeds and gently stir. The color from the seeds will turn the oil an orange color. Try to get the oil as close to a dark orange color. You may need to add more seeds. Do not cook seeds on high heat or for a long period of time, the seeds will begin to burn and affect the taste of the rice. At this stage your rice should be cooked. Transfer your cooked rice into a metal or aluminimum pan. Use a meshed screen strainer and pour achiote oil onto rice. Discard seeds Once rice is completely orange add the pork mixture. Use a large spoon to evenly mix all ingredients. Once again, ʻtaste testʻ the finished gandule rice, you may need to add salt. If you want rice to be more moist, you may add more chicken broth at this time as well. If not consuming at this time, if your rice cooker has a warm setting you may keep rice in the cooker or refrigerate once it cools down. To reheat, use microwave safe dishes. NOTE: This recipe is based on estimated measurements. All ingredients are listed as is. It is your choice to decrease or increase ingredients according to your liking. 5 cups of cooked rice added with pork mixture yields approximately 8-10 servings.

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add pork and brown in oil. Meanwhile, place remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add achiote seeds. Heat until oil becomes very dark orange/red. Remove from heat and set aside.
• To the browned pork add the onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. Cook to reduce veggies, then add the tomato sauce, pigeon peas and olives. Mix well. Strain achiote/oil mixture into pork mixture and stir together. Reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• Add uncooked rice and water to pork mixture; stir well. Raise temperature to high, cover saucepan and bring all to a boil. Stir again, reduce heat to low and cover; let cook on low about 10 minutes. Remove cover, stir again, replace cover and cook another 10 minutes; stir again. Remove from heat and allow to stand 15 minutes.

Steps:

• Cook bacon in medium saucepan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan, reserving drippings in saucepan. Drain bacon on paper towels.
• Add green peppers, onions and garlic to reserved drippings; cook and stir on medium heat 5 min. Add tomato sauce, rice and black pepper; mix well. Stir in water. Bring to boil. Stir in peas; cover. Simmer on medium-low heat 20 min. Stir.
• Crumble bacon; sprinkle over rice mixture.

Steps:

• Lay 1 banana leaf (or more, if needed) flat on a large cutting board, then set the lid of a large Dutch oven or similar pot on top. Use a paring knife to trace around the lid, and cut the leaf (or leaves) so that they will fit properly inside the pot. Cover with a clean dishcloth and set aside.
• In a small saucepan, cook the neutral oil and annatto seeds over medium heat, allowing the seeds to infuse the oil. After 2 to 3 minutes, when the oil begins to bubble and the seeds start to crackle, turn off the heat and allow the oil to cool completely. Pour the cool oil through a fine-mesh strainer, reserving seeds for another round of infusing, if desired.
• Make the sofrito: Use a food processor or high-speed blender to pulse the onion, red and green bell peppers, cubanelle pepper, garlic, cilantro, scallions, ají dulce peppers (if using) and culantro (if using), adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of water if needed to achieve a smooth, salsa-like consistency. Stir in 3/4 teaspoon sazón and set aside. (The sofrito makes about 2 cups. Refrigerate it for up to 5 days or portion it into ice cube trays or plastic containers, and freeze up to 6 months.)
• Set the large Dutch oven or similar pot over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons annatto oil and the ham or fatback. Sauté until crisp and most of the fat has rendered, about 6 minutes. Add 1/4 cup sofrito, the olives and 1 tablespoon sazón, stirring until sofrito is fragrant, about 3 minutes.
• Next, add pigeon peas and sauté for another 3 minutes. Season with adobo, salt and black pepper to taste.
• Reduce heat to medium. Add rice, stirring until grains are all coated, seasoned and starting to toast. If there isn't enough oil to generously coat all of the rice and peas in the pot, add the remaining tablespoon of annatto oil. This will help form a delicious golden bottom crust called pegao.
• Once the rice is toasted, stir in the beer and cook for about 3 minutes, then add the reserved pigeon-pea liquid (or 2 1/2 cups water) and roasted red pepper brine. Taste the cooking liquid and adjust salt as needed; it should be pleasantly salty.
• Gently stir rice, then spread about half the thinly sliced roasted red pepper over the rice. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover rice with prepared banana leaves, then cover pot with its lid and cook for 22 minutes.
• Once the time has passed, remove the lid, open the banana leaves and gently fold the rice onto itself from the outside in to form a mound in the center of the pot. Reduce heat to medium-low, replace banana leaves and lid and continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes to allow pegao to form at the bottom of the pot.
• To serve, spoon rice atop a platter layered with fresh banana leaves. Garnish with remaining sliced roasted peppers. Use a metal spatula to scrape pegao out of the pot and serve on a separate plate. Be careful, because everyone will fight over it!