I don’t think I really know what exactly is Puerto Rican cuisine. All I know is that most of us grew up eating lots of rice, beans and meat. One of my all time favorite local dishes is white rice and canned corned beef. To some people, this is what poor people eat. Thinking about it, this is what we used to eat towards the end of the month, hum… Anyway, I liked it. My grandma made the canned corned beef with potatoes. This dish is one of the easiest to prepare. So in honor of this, I decided to prepare it for my boyfriend.

I do have a problem with rice. Many people here in Puerto Rico make “pegao”. This word is a slang and literally means glued. Of course, it doesn’t mean that you use glue to cook the rice. The word is used to describe the layer of rice closest to the bottom of the pan when it is crunchy. I love pegao rice! So crunchy, so good, so unattainable.  I can’t do it.  I can cook regular rice, but if I try to make the pegao, I end up with either oily rice in the bottom, or burnt rice. Many people have offered their expertise and advice on how to get the pegao. I’ve tried them all, to no avail. It kills me. Anyway, I gave it yet another try tonight. I got close, but no pegao.

To make regular white rice, in a 3 qt. pot, add one and a half cups of water, 2-3 tablespoons of oil and salt and bring to a boil.  When boiling, add 1 cup of dry rice.  I always use long grain rice, but I never follow the standard ratio of water to rice.  I don’t know, I always get mushy rice.  This way, if the rice is to hard, I add some water and cook longer.  It works for me.  Anyway let it cook until all the liquid evaporates.  Don’t turn.  Lower the heat to medium low and cook for like 10-15 minutes.  Fluff with a fork.  At this point, some people turn up the heat and cook a little longer to get the pegao.  This trick is really not working for me.  Good luck.

For the corned beef, set a pan to medium high heat and add the meat.  Break it down and add tomato sauce, sofrito*, olives, and roasted red peppers.  Mix while is cooking.  This will take like 5 minutes or less, no kidding!  I like adding fried potatoes.  Dinner is ready.

If you want a true challenge, peel a green plantain, cut it in half inch slices and fry until it subtly changes color (brown is not a subtle change, by the way).  Drain.  If you don’t have a tostonera, you can use an aluminum can.  Just make sure you line it with foil.  Place the plantain slice on a cutting board and press down on it with the lined aluminum can.  Repeat with all the slices and fry again until this time, they begin to turn golden.  These things can burn easily so keep your eyes on them.  If you don’t want the hassle, buy the frozen ones.  You only have fry them once.  And here my friends, you have a classic Puerto Rican meal in little time.  If anyone manages to get the crunchy rice in the bottom of the pot, please send me the step by step instructions on how you accomplished it.  I will be eternally thankful.

*Sofrito is a mix of pureed seasonings packed in a bottle and used in lots of Puerto Rican dishes.  The traditional sofrito contains garlic, green peppers, onions, sweet chiles, cilantro, oregano, salt, vinegar, etc.  The powdered kind is called sazon.  They are used for stews, soups, sauces, and rice.