My Father In-Law's Cuban Arroz Con Carne Puerco | Rice With Pork Recipe
6 August 2018
Recipes - Main Course - Cuban
Welcome to my very first recipe on this website! This recipe is a special one to me because it belongs to my father-in-law, Efren. A man who could most probably compete with my mother in the cooking arena. Most importantly, a man who has inspired me to broaden my horizons when it comes to cooking.
This recipe is a traditional Cuban rice with pork dish, with a little bit of a twist, of course. You see, in Cuba, they didn't (still don't) have access to the finest cuts of meat or extravagant vegetables. They learned to make do with what they had, making a little bit go a long way. Transport yourself to America, Miami in particular, where the selection of meat and ingredients are plentiful. Now you can take some solid home-cooking concepts and flavors to a whole new level. Kick it up a notch, you know?
For example, the traditional arroz con carne puerco doesn't contain hearts of palm or sherry wine. The sherry wine adds that little bit of extra flavor, and the hearts of palm have a neutral flavor that adds a little bit of crunch. Efren really knows what he's doing! So, I hope you try this recipe and love it as much as I do.
Time: 2 hours
Serves: 4-6 people
Cuisine: Cuban
INGREDIENTS
4 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
4 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 yellow onion, diced
1/2 yellow pepper, diced
1/2 green pepper, diced
1/2 red pepper, diced
2 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp cumin
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp salt
3 heaping tbsp hot sauce
1/4 cup sherry wine (or any dry white wine)
2 sachets of Sazon con Azafran
4 cups of water
6 pimento stuffed olives
1 can heart of palms
2 cups of rice (preferably jasmine)
1 rack pork ribs
500g pork chunks (pork collar)
DIRECTIONS
Brown the pork ribs and pork chunks in a wide pot with olive oil. Once browned, remove the pork and set aside.
Reduce the heat to medium and sauté the onion and peppers in the same pan until translucent.
Add garlic, sazon con azafran, oregano, cumin, and olives. Cook for 1 minute until aromatic, and then add the hot sauce and sherry wine. Cook off the alcohol from the wine, and then add 4 cups of water, bay leaves, and salt. "Don't forget to use your hands with the salt and throw the leftover salt over your shoulder into the sink for good luck!" - Efren.
Add the pork back into the pot and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer for 45 minutes or until the pork is just tender.
Add 2 cups of rice and cook covered for 20 minutes. Add the hearts of palm about 2 minutes before the rice is ready.
Once the rice is al dente, remove the cover, stir the mixture, and let it rest for 5 minutes.
Serve with a salad of choice and platanos maduros (sweet plantains).
TIPS
The best side salad to accompany this dish is sliced tomatoes, sliced avocados, and sliced red onions. Season with salt, pepper, vinegar, and olive oil. (Stay tuned for a future blog post on side dishes!)
If you do not consume pork or alcohol, this dish can also be made with chicken. Replace the alcohol with stock and replace the pork with a whole chicken, quartered.
Most importantly... enjoy!
Qatar Residents: One 500g packet of pork collars and one packet of baby back ribs from QDC are the perfect amount for this dish. Sweet plantains can be found at Lulu Hypermarket and are called "big bananas."
