I decided to finally make a batch of Arroz con Gandules or Gandule Rice. Gandules are also known as pigeon peas and are available canned in the 50th. I'm not aware of a fresh or dried source but even if available, it's simple to simply open a can. I previously intended on making this side dish when I made my Baked Pastel al Horno several weeks ago but we didn't have any refrigerator space to store the leftovers so I held off back then.
I still had some frozen ground pork from the original batch of pasteles so I thawed that out - about 3/4 pound or so. Instead of simply making a batch of rice... how about flavoring it up with the pork and usual pastele seasoning like chopped green onions and cilantro... Sounds like a plan to me.
First brown the lean ground pork then add chopped garlic and onions. Once the onions are softened, add the chopped green onions and cilantro. Deglaze the pan with a splash of cachaca then add the gandules and sliced black olives. Add tomato sauce, water and Goya seasoning and bring to a boil.
Add the brown rice (the lean pork and brown rice actually made this a healthy meal) then simmer for 30 minutes.
With the pork and greens, the consistency turned out more like a jambalaya than gandule rice but hey, it's the taste that counts and this dish was a WINNAH! Winnah, winnah, rice and pork dinnah!
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