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Arroz con Gandules

Spanish Style Rice and Pigeon Peas with Salt Pork and authentic seasonings
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Latin
Servings 6

Equipment

  • Caldero or Dutch Oven with lid
  • Cutting Board
  • Knife

Ingredients
  

Protein

  • 1/4 cup Salt Pork Diced or cut into small pieces

Produce

  • 1 Small Onion Diced
  • 1 tsp Minced Garlic
  • 1/4 cup Fresh Cilantro Chopped
  • 3 tbsp Sofrito can be prepared fresh or store bought

Condiments/Canned Goods

  • 15 oz Can of Goya Pigeon Peas (Gandules) Drained - can be substituted for another brand
  • 1/4 cup Pitted Spanish Olives with Pimentos Sliced
  • 1/4 cup Tomato Sauce

Rice

  • 2 cups Long Grain Rice May rinse under water to remove extra starch

Seasonings

  • 1 tbsp Garlic Herb Seasoning No Salt
  • 1 tsp Onion Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cumin
  • 2 Sazon Packets
  • Salt To Taste
  • Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Other

  • 3 cups Water

Oil

  • Olive Oil

Instructions
 

Preparation

  • Heat Caldero or Dutch Oven on Medium/High adding a drizzle of Olive Oil.
  • Add chopped Salted Pork and begin sautéing until fat begins to render and lightly browns.
  • Proceed to add your diced Onions and continue sautéing until onion begin to soften and turn translucent.
  • Add Minced Garlic, Sofrito, sliced Green Olives with Pimentos and Tomato Sauce.
  • Stir to incorporate all ingredients.
  • At this point, add Garlic Herb Seasoning, Onion Powder, Cumin, Sazon Packets and a couple of generous pinches of Salt & Pepper and continue stirring. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes to meld the flavors.
  • Gently add the Gandules (Pigeon Peas) into the sauce being sure to stir consistently.
  • Add the 2 cups of Long Grain Rice and mix with the sauce being sure to coat thoroughly. This helps to seal in the flavor as the rice begins to cook.
  • Add the 3 cups of Water directly into mixture and continue to stir. At this point you can taste the liquid to see if it needs additional Salt.
  • Sprinkle 1/2 of chopped Cilantro into mixture give it one last stir and cover with lid. Lower cooking temperature to medium. Once the liquid is almost all absorbed, stir the rice and cover again. Do not keep opening the pot as the steam will escape and the rice may not cook properly.
  • Lower temperatur to medium low and let it continue steaming until the liquid is completely absorbed and the rice is tender and fluffy. Right before serving, top rice off with remaining Cilantro to give it additional essence.

Serving Suggestions

  • This pairs well with any meat or seafood dish or if you are looking for a vegetarian take on it, omit the Salted Pork and enjoy it on its own.
Keyword Arroz, gandules, spanish rice and pigeon peas