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This recipe comes from Arlete Gesswein in Porto Alegre, who didn't have a chance to cook it for us. So, we'll have to go back sometime, won't we?
1 pound of Brazilian charque (dried beef)
2 cups long grain rice
4 and 1/2 cups water
1 medium onion, chopped
two garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 tablespoons good cooking oil
Salt to taste
a sprig of parsley
The night before: Soak the dried beef in a bowl with enough water to cover it entirely.
Remove dried beef from water, wash it well under running water, then remove fat and cut into small cubes. Heat the oil in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and garlic and cook until limp. Do not let it brown! Add the dried beef and sauté. Add the rice and stir well. Add water, check for salt and only add any if necessary (your dried beef is probably salty), cover the pan, and cook over low heat until almost all the water is absorbed (it should be nice and moist, not dry like regular Brazilian-style rice) and the grains are tender. Chop some parsley and sprinkle over the arroz de carreteiro right before bringing it to the table. Serves 4-6 people, depending on your hunger!
Stop by and visit our Rio Grande do Sul pages: Vale dos Vinhedos and Charqueadas.
Photo courtesy of Iara Ilgenfritz in Rio, who cooked the best arroz de carreteiro I've ever tasted. And I've tasted quite a few...