Puerto Rican Rice
This is the recipe as taught to me by Brauli. It's the one I use time and again, adding ham or shrimp sometimes or tossing in green peppers. I havent made it with olives myself, but Jose's version was really delicious with them added.
This is the recipe as taught to me by Brauli. It's the one I use time and again, adding ham or shrimp sometimes or tossing in green peppers. I havent made it with olives myself, but Jose's version was really delicious with them added.
- Carbohydrate 7.50676737112 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 112.890616785435 g
- Fiber 2.13872139827856 g
- Protein 4.79285481968 g
- Saturated Fat 14.012189551471 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Recipe (484g)
- Sodium 898.523504184014 mg
- Sugar 5.36804597284144 g
- Trans Fat 9.93178896133531 g
- Calories 1043 calories
Step-by-step
- Measure your rice and put it into a strainer.
- Using filtered water, rinse your rice, rubbing it well for a few minutes.
- Shake the strainer to remove excess water and then set it upon a bowl to drain further while you begin preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- Heat your rice pan over medium heat (about 4 on my stove) and add oil.
- Once the oil is heated, have something ready to catch the oil splatter, then add sofrito and stir for a minute.
- Add tomato sauce and stir again.
- Toss in Sazon, beans and pepper, if using.
- Now is the time to add other things like olives or ham.
- Stir in rice and water and cover.
- Turn your heat to high and wait until you hear it come to a full boil.
- Then turn the heat all the way down to a simmer (on my stove, I turn the dial to right between simmer and 1).
- Set your timer for 1 hour.
- Do NOT remove the lid while the rice is cooking or the heat will escape and your rice will end up taking much longer to cook.
- While the rice is cooking, get your olives and hot sauce and any other desired toppings ready.
- When the rice is done it's not fluffy like white rice, it's very al dente and oftentimes a lot of it will stick to the bottom of the pot.
- This is totally normal!
- Scrape it up, if you like and serve it.
- It definitely shouldn't be burned at all, though, so make sure your flame is turned as low as you can get it.
Standard measurements on a recipe card rarely communicate how aggressively starches behave when combined with tomato-based cooking liquids. Traditional Puerto Rican rice dishes rely on a specific foundation of aromatic sofrito and sazon, building deep savory layers without requiring expensive proteins or specialized pantry staples. Rinsing the grains vigorously until the water runs clear removes excess surface starch that otherwise causes the mixture to gum together instead of forming distinct, al dente grains.
- Heat the oil over a medium setting on the dial before introducing the sofrito, allowing the moisture in the vegetable puree to sizzle safely without burning the aromatics.
- Maintain a strict lid-on policy for the entire cooking duration, as lifting the cover releases trapped steam and breaks the thermal equilibrium needed for even hydration.
- Set the burner to its lowest simmer setting immediately after reaching a boil to prevent scorching the bottom layer while the starches absorb the liquid over a 60-minute window.
- Scrape up the slightly caramelized bottom crust known as pegao, which provides a desirable textural contrast characteristic of authentic preparation methods.
Mastering this low-heat absorption method ensures consistent results while keeping grocery costs remarkably low. Proper attention to the dial position makes all the difference between perfectly tender grains and a scorched pot.
