Rice with Assorted Meat in Green Pepper Sauce

Introduction

Rice with assorted meat in green pepper sauce cooks the rice directly in a rough blend of green bell peppers, habanero peppers, onion, and bleached palm oil, so the grains absorb the sauce as they soften. With 1.5 kg of meat plus shaki, kpomo, and smoked mackerel, it works as a full main dish for a weekend pot or for portions you can reheat over a few days.

Recipe Details

• Prep Time: 30 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 35 minutes
• Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes
• Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 1.5 kg assorted meat, cut in small pieces
• 8 medium green bell peppers, washed and seeded
• 12 small habanero peppers, washed and seeded
• 1 medium onion
• 1 cup of bleached palm oil
• 2 tablespoons iru
• 3 stock cubes
• 2 tablespoon ground crayfish
• ½ tablespoon salt
• 1 cup meat stock
• 2 ½ cups uncooked rice, washed until the water runs clear
• Shaki
• Kpomo
• 2 fillets smoked mackerel, deboned

Instructions

1. Cook the assorted meat pieces until tender. Fry them in oil to brown them. Set aside.
2. Blend the bell pepper, habanero, and onions to a rough paste.
3. Heat the bleached palm oil in a pot over high heat. Add the blended pepper mixture, and cook, stirring.
4. Stir in the iru, stock cubes, ground crayfish, and salt. Let cook for about 10 mins, stirring often.
5. Stir in the meat stock and enough extra water to cook the rice. Bring to a boil, and stir in the rice.
6. Stir in the shaki and kpomo. Cover, and cook until the rice is tender.
7. Stir in the smoked mackerel, and let it steam for a few minutes.
8. Stir in the fried meat, and remove from the heat.

Variations

• Reduce the 12 small habanero peppers to 6 if you want the heat lower; the sauce will stay bright and peppery but less sharp.
• Replace 2 fillets smoked mackerel, deboned with smoked catfish if that is easier to find; you will get a firmer texture and a slightly drier, deeper smoked flavor.
• Use parboiled long-grain rice in place of the uncooked rice if you want more separate grains; it usually needs a bit more water and a little more cooking time.
• Cut the 1 cup of bleached palm oil down to ¾ cup for a lighter pot; the rice will be less glossy and a little less rich.
• Increase the 8 medium green bell peppers, washed and seeded with 2 red bell peppers if you want a less grassy sauce; the finished rice will taste slightly sweeter and look less green.

Tips for Success

• Brown the assorted meat in batches if needed so it sears instead of steaming.
• Keep the blended pepper mixture moving in the hot bleached palm oil so it cooks evenly and does not catch at the bottom.
• Wash the rice until the water runs clear, as written, to avoid a sticky final texture.
• Add enough extra water to cook the rice, but stop while the mixture still looks slightly loose; the rice will keep absorbing liquid under the lid.
• Stir in the smoked mackerel near the end and fold gently so it stays in pieces instead of disappearing into the rice.

Storage and Reheating

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. For longer storage, freeze in tightly sealed portions for up to 2 months.

Reheat on the stovetop over low heat with a small splash of water, covered, until hot all the way through. You can also microwave individual portions, covered, in 1-minute bursts, stirring between rounds so the rice heats evenly.

FAQ

Can you make it less spicy without changing the dish too much?

Yes. The simplest change is to reduce the habanero peppers and keep the green bell peppers the same, so you keep the body of the sauce.

Can you cook the rice separately and mix it into the sauce?

You can, but the flavor will not be as deep because the rice will not absorb the pepper mixture as it cooks. If you do it, keep the sauce slightly looser before folding in the cooked rice.

What type of rice works best?

Long-grain rice works best because it holds its shape in the sauce. Softer rice varieties can break down if you stir too much.

Do you need to debone the smoked mackerel completely?

Yes. Deboning it fully before it goes into the pot makes serving easier and keeps small bones from getting lost in the rice.