A Mexican chef in North Carolina introduced me to “authentic” Mexican rice. He was a willing teacher and me, coming from Montana, I was amazed that I had the privilege to work with an experienced chef who was knowledgeable about such a variety of Mexican dishes. He made tasty carnitas finishing the cooking process of the pork with Coca Cola of all things, Machaca using the chain of the tenderloin, and he broadened my kitchen Spanish vocabulary.
This particular chef was a little arrogant to say the least, but I didn’t care. I would follow him around asking questions and watching what he was doing; he was a wealth of culinary knowledge. This is how he made Mexican rice with one minor change. Instead of cooking the rice using only the stovetop I like to finish the dish in the oven to prevent scorching and to basically make the process foolproof.
Authentic Mexican Style Rice Recipe
INGREDIENTS
- 2 cup long grain rice
- 3 Roma tomatoes, cut in quarters
- 1 medium onion1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeno
- 1 bunch of cilantro
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 2 tbsp. chicken base or bouillon
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
DIRECTIONS
Pre-heat oven to 350. In a saucepan heat the chicken stock add chicken base and blend. Using a blender puree the tomatoes, onion, garlic, jalapeño using chicken stock as needed. Heat vegetable oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; add rice and sauté until rice turns a light golden brown. (if you have access to a large fryer then no need to sauté the rice just put the rice in a fine mesh china-hat and fry until golden brown)
Using a oven to table casserole dish with dimensions approximately 14.75″W x 9.50″D x 3″H pour the puree mixture over the browned rice. Add the remaining chicken broth. Cover with plastic wrap then aluminum foil. Bake for about 30-35 minutes or until no liquid remains. Simply shake the pan, and if you don’t feel any water sloshing then it’s done. Remove from heat and let set for at least 5 minutes before serving. Fluff with a fork.
Enjoy!
