Shel's Restaurant-style Mexican Rice

[Shel_B]

This week I made dinner for a group of friends, and the dinner included Mexican rice.  What I made was based on studying several recipes for Mexican rice and then developing my own recipe.  It's called "restaurant-style" because it reminds me of rice dishes I've had in several restaurants.  So, first the recipe and then some notes.

 

Shel's Restaurant-Style Mexican Rice

 

Ingredients

 

1 (14.5 oz) can Muir Glen diced fire roasted tomatoes with chilies
½ medium white or yellow onion, peeled and chopped medium
1 cup chicken stock
1 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, or to taste
½ - 1 tsp ground cumin
3 - 4 Tbs neutral cooking oil or rendered lard
1 cup long grain white rice
1-2 chili peppers (optional, or to taste) such as Peruvian, seeded and minced
3-4 garlic cloves, pressed
¼ cup very finely chopped cilantro
3 Tbs fresh lime juice

 

Directions

 

Place rice in a fine-mesh strainer and rinse under cold running water until water runs clear. Place strainer over bowl and let rice drain.

 

Put the tomatoes their juice, and the onion in a food processor and puree until smooth. Transfer the tomato mixture to a medium saucepan. Stir in the chicken stock, salt, and cumin and bring liquid to a boil over medium heat. Turn heat down to keep liquid hot, close to boiling.

 

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium to medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling, add the rice and sauté, stirring often until lightly toasted and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the optional pepper and cook until slightly softened, a couple of minutes at most, adjusting the heat as needed. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 - 60 seconds.

 

Pour the hot tomato mixture over the rice and stir to combine. Be careful, it may bubble and roil vigorously.  Turn heat to low and cook, covered, until liquid has evaporated and rice is done, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and gently stir the rice. Cover pot with a clean towel and place the pot lid over, and let stand an additional 10 to 15 minutes.  Add the cilantro and lime juice, and fluff gently with a fork. Taste and adjust seasoning if desired.

 

Notes:  I used home-rendered lard for the oil to sauté the rice.  Were I to do this again, I might opt for some lard purchased at the nearby Latino market.  Their lard is light tan in color and just a little more flavorful.

 

You can really add a little more cumin without unbalancing the dish.  I kept the amount low because one of the guests prefers more mild food.  Up to 1 tsp of ground cumin would probably be fine.

 

I used a California basmati rice, as that's what was in the cupboard, and while the results were good, the next time I'd like to try a different long grain rice.

 

Trader Joe's sells an organic diced, fire roasted canned tomato with green chilies.  Hunt's also sells a diced, fire roasted tomato, but without green chilies and it's not organic.  I've tried them all and prefer the Muir Glen brand, but have used TJ's when necessary.

 

The Peruvian peppers (Aji Amarillo) worked out beautifully in this dish.  I used 1 1/2 peppers, each about 3-inches long, with seeds and membrane removed.  After tasting the Aji Amarillo in this dish, I'd be hard pressed to use the more common, and typical, jalapeño, but that, and other peppers, or none at all, would be fine.

 

So, give this recipe a try and put your own spin on it ...

Edited February 2, 2015 by Shel_B (log)