Arroz con Chorizo and Habichuelas Blancas
Arroz con chorizo y habichuelas blancas is a one-pot dinner that doesn't apologize for being rich. It's built for a Tuesday when you want something that tastes like it simmered all day but takes only about 40 minutes.
Servings: 10 servings
Calories: 236kcal
Equipment
- 1 caldero or dutch oven
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 oz cooking ham diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 2 tablespoon sofrito
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 oz chorizo diced
- 1 can white beans drained
- 1 tablespoon adobo powder
- 2 cups dried rice washed
- 1 tablespoon achiote oil
- 2 cups broth or water
Instructions
- Render the ham: Heat olive oil in a wide, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the diced ham and cook for a couple of minutes, until it starts to release its fat.
- Add the onions: Stir in the diced onions and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Sprinkle in the adobo, then add the sofrito and tomato paste, and cook for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the chorizo: Stir in the diced chorizo and cook until it browns and releases its reddish fat into the pot, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the rice and achiote oil: Stir in the rice, then drizzle the achiote oil over the top. Toss everything together until the rice is coated and starts to take on that golden color.
- Add the broth and beans: Pour in the pork broth and add the drained white beans. Stir once to combine.
- Season and bring to a boil: Sprinkle in the remaining adobo, stir, and bring the pot to a boil over medium-high heat. Let it boil uncovered for about 5 minutes without stirring, until the liquid reduces to just below the surface of the rice.
- Cover and steam: Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, and let it steam for 15-18 minutes. Resist the urge to lift the lid; the steam is doing the work.
- Fluff and serve: Remove the lid and fluff the rice gently with a fork from the bottom up. Serve warm.
Notes
Top Tip
Use equal parts rice to liquid, the same ratio as plain rice, even when beans are in the pot. A common mistake is adding extra liquid to account for the beans, which results in mushy rather than fluffy rice.Expert Tips
- Sear before you simmer: Browning the ham and chorizo before adding anything else gives their flavor time to bloom and work into everything else in the pot.
- Dice the chorizo evenly: Uneven pieces mean uneven browning, and you want the fat to render consistently across every piece.
- Don't skip the achiote oil: Even with chorizo's natural color, achiote is what gives this rice its deep golden tone and adds the Puerto Rican touch.
- Check your beans before adding them: Whether canned or rehydrated, the beans should already be tender going in. The rice only simmers long enough to cook the rice itself, not to finish undercooked beans, so if you're working from dry beans, don't rush the soak and cook.
- Storage:
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat in a covered pan with a splash of broth or water.
- Freezes well for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
Serving: 6oz | Calories: 236kcal | Carbohydrates: 42g | Net Carbohydrates: 39g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 7mg | Sodium: 244mg | Potassium: 284mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg | Phosphorus: 90mg
