4 servings

The Puerto Rican women who taught me to make Arroz con Pollo would probably chase me out of town with a flyswatter if they knew about this. Or maybe not – because it’s really fantastic. Try it some night when it’s too late to cook but you’re hungry anyway.

1/4 cup olive oil
3 tablespoons chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 small cube of salt pork (1” x 1”), left whole
1 cup uncooked (raw) white rice
1 10-ounce can Campbell’s condensed chicken broth
10 ounces tomato juice or tomato sauce
1 can red kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon Goya brand recaito (green coriander sauce)*
1 tablespoon capers
1/4 cup chopped green olives

Heat the olive oil over medium high heat and add the salt pork and onions. Cook until both are well browned. Remove the salt pork, add the rice and garlic and continue to cook and stir until the rice turns light brown. Carefully add the chicken broth, then the tomato juice. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for an additional 5 to 10 minutes without uncovering. Serve immediately.

*Do not leave this out – go to the grocery store and pick up a jar of it. It’s on the aisle with the ethnic foods, and usually the Goya products are all grouped together.