AT HEART, MEXICAN rice is no
more than a simple pilaf of white rice
cooked in a mix of chicken broth,
tomatoes, garlic, and chiles. Yet a
well-made version tastes like so much
more than the sum of those parts,
featuring tender rice with a deep
savoriness and refreshing bright-
ness. We wanted our recipe for this
side dish to be delicious while also
allowing ample time and energy for
cooking the rest of the meal. To get
it done, we turned to some simple,
time-tested test kitchen strategies.
Achieving fl uff y rice with separate,
intact grains can seem tricky, but it re-
ally boils down to remembering a few
simple techniques: rinsing the rice,
toasting the rice in enough oil to coat
the grains, and cooking the rice in just
enough liquid (about a 2:3 ratio of rice
to liquid). Rinsing the rice rids it of
any extra starch that will turn gluey as
the rice cooks. Sautéing the rice not
only deepens its nutty fl avor but also
begins to set the remaining starch on
the exterior of the rice, providing extra
insurance against clumping.
For the right tomato presence,
side-by-side tests confi rmed that
a mix of pureed fresh tomato and
tomato paste was best. Canned tomato
products resulted in a sweeter, darker
cooked-tomato fl avor that came across
as “ketchup-like,” whereas fresh
tomatoes imparted bright, savory
fl avor without dominating. Tomato
paste added more savoriness and
transformed the color of the rice from
pale pink to the classic bright orange.
A single clove of garlic and a jalapeño
chile added the perfect amount of bite
and subtle permeating heat to help
contrast the mild sweetness of the rice.
As I found out in my testing,
determining the correct amount of
liquid in which to cook the rice can
become tricky when you add solid
ingredients such as tomatoes, chiles,
and garlic to the mix. To streamline
this step, I fi rst whizzed the veg-
etables in a food processor until they
were smooth and then added enoughchicken broth to hit my target vol-
ume. (The precise ratios of vegetable
liquid to broth aren’t important
here—the rice will taste great no
matter how it works out.)
This Mexican rice is easy, simple,
and delicious.EASY MEXICAN RICE
Serves 4 to 6
To make this dish spicier, include the
jalapeño seeds.1½ cups long-grain white rice
1 tomato, cored and quartered
1 jalapeño chile, stemmed, halved,
and seeded
Salt and pepper
1 garlic clove, chopped
1- 1¾ cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Lime wedges- Place rice in fi ne-mesh strainer and
rinse under cold running water for
1½ minutes. Shake strainer vigorously
to remove all excess water; set aside. - Process tomato, jalapeño, 1½ tea-
spoons salt, garlic, and ¼ teaspoon
pepper in food processor until
smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping
down sides of bowl as needed. Trans-
fer mixture to 4-cup liquid measuring
cup. Stir to defl ate foam, if neces-
sary, then add enough broth to equal
2½ cups.
3. Heat oil in large saucepan over
medium-high heat until shimmer-
ing. Add rice and cook, stirring
frequently, until edges begin to
turn translucent, about 2 minutes.
Add tomato paste and cook, stirring
constantly, until mixture is uniformly
colored, about 1 minute. Add tomato
mixture and bring to boil. Stir rice,
cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook
for 20 minutes.
4. Let stand, covered, off heat for
10 minutes. Stir in cilantro and
season with salt and pepper to taste.
Transfer rice to serving bowl. Serve
with lime wedges.
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FEBRUARY/MARCH 2019 • COOK’S COUNTRY 9Use the Right Chorizo
This recipe calls for Mexican-style chorizo,
which is a fresh sausage and needs to be fully
cooked. Don’t substitute Spanish-style
chorizo, which is a cured product
similar to pepperoni.Fresh tomato
and tomato paste
collaborate to bring
this rice a rich hue
and potent flavor.Mexican
Rice
This staple side’s beauty
lies in its simplicity
and a careful balance
of fresh fl avors.
by Matthew FairmanAnd if You Can’t Find It
Make your own! Substitute 4 ounces of
hot Italian sausage. Add 1 teaspoon of
smoked paprika and 1⁄8 teaspoon of cay-
enne pepper to the skillet with the garlic
in step 1; add 1 tablespoon of distilled
white vinegar with the water in step 2.WEEKNIGHT GROUND BEEF TACOS
Serves 6
For a less spicy fi lling, reduce the amount
of minced canned chipotle chile to 1 tea-
spoon. Serve with your choice of garnishes,
such as shredded iceberg lettuce, cheddar
cheese, and hot sauce.1 pound 90 percent lean ground beef
4 ounces Mexican-style chorizo
sausage, casings removed
1 teaspoon pepper
¾ teaspoon salt
1 onion, chopped fi ne
1 poblano chile, stemmed, seeded,
and chopped fi ne
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle
chile in adobo sauce
4 plum tomatoes, cored and cut into
¼-inch pieces
½ cup water
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
12 (6-inch) corn or fl our tortillas, warmed- Combine beef, chorizo, pepper, and
salt in 12-inch nonstick skillet. Cook
over medium-high heat until beef is no
longer pink, 6 to 8 minutes, breaking up
meat with wooden spoon. Stir in onion
and poblano and cook until softened, 6 to
8 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, and chipotle
and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. - Stir in tomatoes and water and bring to
simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cov-
er, and continue to cook until tomatoes are
beginning to break down, about 10 min-
utes longer. Off heat, stir in cilantro. - Divide fi lling evenly among tortillas,
about ¼ cup each. Serve.
OUR CHOICE:
Mexican chorizo,
fresh and softDON’T USE:
Spanish chorizo,
hard and dryBACKSTORY
Rice was introduced to Mexico in
the 16th century by the Manila
Galleons, a fl eet of trading ships
operated by Spain
that traveled
between the
Philippines and
Acapulco, Mexico,
for more than
200 years. The ships also carried
spices, textiles, lacquerware, and
other goods, which merchants trad-
ed for New World silver. Most of this
silver found its way to China, where
it was a common form of currency.
At least two dozen of these ships
were lost at sea over the years;
some of those shipwrecks remain
on the Pacifi c seafl oor to this day.