Puerto Rican Pigeon Pea Rice Pork Recipes

PUERTO RICAN PIGEON PEA RICE & PORK/ARROZ CON GANDULES Y PUERCO

Steps:

• 1. Over a low flame first take the cup of the oil, add the annato seeds or achiote seeds and heat until just shimmering. Be careful not to use a high flame as the seeds will burn easly. The oil will turn a bright orange color as the seeds give up their color and flavor. Shut off the flame and strain the seeds from the oil. Discard the seeds. If you cant find annato or achiote seeds use ground annato or achiote powder, pour a tablespoon into the oil and slowly heat until the oil turns a bright orange color. Next strain oil in a lined wire mesh strainer fitted with a large coffee filter. Set the strainer over a pot or bowl and pour the oil into the filter little by little. With a spoon I move the annato or achiote powder all around to let the oil pass through the filter. When done discard the filter and keep the oil in a covered container to cook and flavor Latino dishes. Achiote or annato flavored oil is used alot in Puerto Rican and Mexican recipes. You can also use a clean cheese cloth, to strain seed or annato powder from the oil.
• 2. Have your pork loin pieces at room temperature. Season the meat with garlic powder, salt, black pepper and a little oregano. In a heavy skillet add about a 1/4 cup of the annato or achiote flavored oil when hot (not to hot) add the meat and sear lightly on all sides. When the meat is browned all over remove from the pot with a slotted spoon into another dish.
• 3. In the same pot you seared your meat add diced onion, garlic, bell pepper, cilantro or culantro and a little more flavored annato oil. Saute until the veggies are limp next add the wine, seasonings, oregano, salt pepper, Goya Sazon packet and tomato sauce. Continue to saute. Then add one can of pigeon peas, drained of all the liquid and continue to saute for about another minute. Now return the meat to the pot add one cup of broth or water and stir well to incorporate everything and bring up the heat to medium high
• 4. Next rinse your rice in cool water twice to remove excess starch strain all the water and pour into the meat mixture. Add the remaining broth or water stir well. Taste the cooking liquid to see if there is enough seasonings, salt. Cover with a tight lid lower the flame to simmer and cook rice for 30 to 40 minutes. When time has elapsed, uncover fluff with a fork and serve. Enjoy
• 5. Note: In Mexico annato seeds are kept in a container and hot lard is poured over them. When cooks are going to prepare their meals the lard is melted down and the strained lard is poured right into a fry pan or pot. Annato flavored oil is kept already prepared for cooking.

ARROZ CON GANDULES (PUERTO RICAN RICE WITH PIGEON PEAS)

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!

PIGEON PEAS AND RICE

Steps:

• Place a large Dutch oven over medium heat and add the oil and bacon. Cook, stirring, until the bacon is crispy and golden and the fat has rendered, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the onions, green peppers, red peppers, rice and salt; cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the onion is soft and the rice is lightly toasted. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring. Add the oregano, cumin, pigeon peas, tomatoes, chicken stock and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover with a lid and cook until the rice is tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with cilantro and scallions.