Recipe(tried): Arroz con Gandules y Carne de Cerdo - Rice with Pigeon Peas and Pork

This is the traditional accompaniment to the PAVOCHON (roasted turkey Puertorican style). It is always included in the Christmas dinner too.

Arroz con Gandules y Carne de Cerdo - Rice with Pigeon Peas and Pork
Arroz con Gandules y Carne de Cerdo is a recipe that is used when the occasion is special, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas dinner or for a family gathering on a Sunday. If you make this several hours before serving, it'll give the flavors a chance to mingle more -- because it is a stewed rice, and stewed dishes always seem to taste better hours later. A tip worth remembering.

Ingredients: The Gandules
1 lb. of fresh gandules, or one 14 oz. package of frozen gandules, thawed
2 quarts water with 1 teaspoon of salt

Ingredients: The Meat
1 lbs. boneless pork, cut up into -inch squares (like the chunks used for carnitas de cerdo)
cup Achiote Tinted Oil

Ingredients: The Sofrito
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 medium green pepper, seeded and chopped fine
3 sweet chili peppers - aj es - seeded and chopped fine
1 medium tomato, chopped
2 cloves garlic - peeled and crushed (I use the mortar and pestle)
teaspoon whole dried oregano crushed with your fingers
4 culantro leaves - recao
2 oz. lean cured ham (jam n de cocinar), diced
cup tomato sauce

Ingredients: The Rice
3 cups medium grain rice
3 cups of the water that the gandules were cooked in

Method:
a) - Check the gandules for any unwanted items. Place the gandules in the two quarts of salted water. Bring to a boil, cover and cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. At that time, take one gand l, rinse it in cold water for 1 second, then squish it between your thumb and forefinger. This will tell you if the gandules are almost tender, which is what you want. The most you should need, if at all, is 5 minutes extra. Don't overdo it, as they will be cooking an additional 30 minutes when added to the rice and meat.

b) - Drain, and make sure to reserve 3 cups of the liquid.

c) - Pick out the non-rice particles from the rice. Rinse the rice under running water using a sieve. Set aside.

d) - Take a large heavy pot (kettle), 4 to 5 quart size. Heat the oil and then brown the pork meat all over, on medium high (get rid of the "pink").

e) - Lower the heat to medium and cover the pot. Cook for 7 to 8 minutes.

f) - During that time, prepare the sofrito, and keep the reserved liquid from the gandules warm, on a burner.

g) - When the pork has finished its' 7 to 8 minutes, add all of the sofrito ingredients and stir. When you see that the bubbling begins again, add the rice, gandules, and the hot reserved liquid. Stir to mix completely.

h) - Raise the heat to medium-high so that the pot will come to a quick boil. As soon as it does, lower the heat to medium, and let the rice "dry out". Dry out means that most of the liquid will be absorbed or evaporated. You will no longer see the edges around the rice bubbling with liquid.

i) - Take a large spoon, and turn the rice completely around, meaning what's on the bottom will now be on top. Take a large fork and stir here and there to separate the grains.

j) - Cover with a tight-fitting lid and immediately lower the heat to LOW.

k) - After 20 minutes, uncover and turn the rice again. Cover the pot and allow it another 10 minutes on the low heat. Now it is ready to be served.