Arroz de Carreteiro

Ingredients

• 500g carne seca or charque (salt-dried beef)
• 300g long-grain white rice
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil or lard
• 750ml hot water or beef stock
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp black pepper
• salt, to taste
• 4 spring onions, sliced
• small bunch parsley, chopped

Before you cook

• Cut the dried beef into 3cm pieces and cover them with cold water.
• Soak the beef for 12 hours in the fridge, changing the water three or four times to draw out the salt.
• Drain the beef, boil it in fresh water for 15 minutes, drain again and shred it with two forks.
• Rinse the rice under cold running water until the water runs clear, then drain it well.
• Chop the onion, garlic, pepper, tomatoes, spring onions and parsley.

Steps

1. Heat the oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium-high heat.
2. Add the shredded beef and fry it for 8 minutes without moving it much, so the edges catch and brown.
3. Stir in the chopped onion and cook for 5 minutes until it softens and picks up the brown from the pan.
4. Add the garlic and diced red pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
5. Tip in the tomatoes and cook for 4 minutes until they slump.
6. Add the drained rice and stir it through the meat for 2 minutes so every grain is coated in fat.
7. Pour in the hot water, drop in the bay leaves and add the black pepper.
8. Bring the pan to a boil, then turn the heat to low and cover it.
9. Cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid.
10. Take the pan off the heat and let it stand, still covered, for 5 minutes.
11. Lift the lid, taste for salt and fluff the rice with a fork.
12. Scatter over the spring onion and parsley and serve straight from the pan.