Dining on a dime: arroz con grandules

By Krystle Goldsworth

Grandules, or pigeonpeas are a type of beans very similar to black-eyed-peas. This dish offers a taste of Puerto Rican heritage, straight from the source.  The ingredient list is short and inexpensive, and the amount of culinary skill needed is low. This dish is well worth the extra effort, especially if you are looking for some ethnic flavor that has nothing to do with Chinese takeout or Taco Bell.

Ingredients:
1 Cubito de Res
Corn oil
Pork or ham
4 tablespoons of Sofrito
1 eight oz. can of Goya onion and garlic tomato sauce
1 can Grandules
2 cups medium grain white rice
1 ½ cups of water
1 Sobre de Sazon

Note: All of the foreign sounding ingredients can be found in the Latin section of a grocery store.

Directions:

1. Cut up the pork or ham into bite size pieces and fry lightly.
2. Using a thin, single layer of corn oil in a pot or skillet,  add the can of Grandules, Sofrito, and Goya tomato sauce.
3. Mix well and let the mixture simmer for 5 minutes.
4. Add the rice, water, Sobre de Sazon, and Cubito de Res and cook with a tight fitting lid until the water is absorbed and the rice is soft (about 30 – 45 minutes)
5. Put stove on a low heat setting and cook for another 30 – 40 minutes until the rice is dry.
6. Throughout this whole process, you must stir everything regularly.
7. Traditionally, you are even supposed to eat the “crusty stuff” off the bottom of the pan.