Name: Arroz de Carreteiro (Arroz de Charque)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 35 min
Total time: 55 min
Yield: 6 porções

Arroz de Carreteiro (Jerk Beef with Rice / Brazilian Wagoner’s Rice)

A dish well known by Arroz Carreteiro (Ox-cart driver rice) or Arroz de Charque (Jerk Beef Rice) made in many parts of Brazil with some variations in the ingredients. In the northeast, this dish is known as Maria Izabel's rice.

Arroz Carreteiro is a recipe deep rooted in the history of the Gaucho, or the Brazilian cowboy. When traveling across the plains, they needed a hearty nutritious meal that could be made on the go. It was originally made with dried beef, or as it’s known in Brazil, Charque. This beef was developed to extend the shelf life. Today it’s made with either dried beef, or left over barbecue meat.

I learned this recipe with some friends in the Rio Grande do Sul.

Ingredients

8.8oz (250gr) of Jerk Beef (charque)
3 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1/2 onion chopped
2 garlic cloves
1/2 green peppers, de-seeded and sliced
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
3 cups of hot water
1 cup of rice
1 Beef stock cube (optional)
Salt to taste
Chopped parsley to decorate

Steps

Step 1
In a pressure cooker add the Jerk beef, cover with water and cook for 20 minutes (the Jerk beef needs to be desalted,we already posted the instructions on how to desalt Jerk Beef. If you desalted the jerk beef in a traditional way follow this step. If you desalted the jerk beef by the hot water, skip this step. Note: if you do not have a pressure cooker, desalt the Jerk Beef in hot water and cook for the 4th time for more 20 minutes.
Step 2
Once cooked, drain the water, wait to cold and cut into cubes and set aside.
Step 3
In a medium pan, heat the oil and add the onions and green pepper, cook for about 1-2 minutes.
Step 4
Add the Jerk beef in cubes, garlic and cook them for about 3 minutes until the beef is well sealed.
Step 5
Warm the water and add the beef stock cube into it to dissolve.
Step 6
Now in the pan, add the tomatoes and stir well, then, add the rice.
Step 7
Add the water with the beef stock cube dissolved, salt to taste (taste the jerk beef before, if it is still salty, don't add more salt)
Step 8
Cook in a medium heat for about 15-20 minutes, until the rice gets cooked. Check from time to time and if needed, add more water.
Step 9
Plate and decorate with chopped parsley.