Arroz carreteiro is the gaúcho leftover rice: yesterday’s grilled beef, chopped, cooked with rice, onion, and garlic. It is a Sul dish. It is what you do with leftover picanha and leftover fresh garlic pork sausage (linguiça toscana) the next day. Toscana from a Brazilian shop, or mild fresh Italian if that is what was on the fire, not smoked calabresa and not kielbasa. It is not baião de dois and it is not Maria Isabel.
At a glance
- Region: Sul
- 4 bowls
- Uses leftover grilled beef. This pot is for leftover grilled beef, not a fresh picanha cooked only for the rice.
Ingredients (4 bowls)
- 2 cups (370 g) long-grain white rice, rinsed
- 12 oz (340 g) leftover grilled beef, chopped small, plus any leftover linguiça toscana
- 1 onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) oil or beef drippings
- 4 cups (950 ml) water
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) fine salt, less if the meat was heavily salted
- Chopped parsley and green onion (cheiro-verde)
Method
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clearer.
- Cook the onion in the oil or drippings until soft. Add the garlic for 30 seconds, then the chopped meat until it takes color.
- Add the rice and stir one minute so it picks up the fat.
- Add water and salt. Cover and cook on low until the rice is tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Keep the grains separate; a porridge is another dish.
- Rest 5 minutes. Cheiro-verde on top. A fried egg is a home extra, not required.
How you know it is done
The rice is tender and the grains still hold. If the pot is wet and the rice is hard, give it a few more minutes on low. If it is dry and the rice is not done, add a splash of water and cover again.
When it goes on the table
Make it the day after the fire. This is a leftover pot, not a substitute for farofa on the first night.
Leave a Reply