Gandule Rice

Ingredients

• Servings: 20
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cubed
• 3 tablespoons achiote (annatto) seeds
• 2 cups chopped onion
• 2 cups chopped fresh cilantro
• 12 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 (8 ounce) cans tomato sauce
• 1 (15 ounce) can pigeon peas, drained
• 15 ounces black olives, pitted and halved
• 8 cups uncooked calrose rice, rinsed
• 9 cups water

Recipe

• heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. add lamb and brown in oil. meanwhile, place remaining oil in a small saucepan over medium heat and add achiote seeds. heat until oil becomes very dark orange/red. remove from heat and set aside.
• to the browned lamb add the onion, cilantro, garlic, salt and pepper. cook to reduce veggies, then add the tomato sauce, pigeon peas and olives. mix well. strain achiote/oil mixture into lamb mixture and stir together. reduce heat to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.
• add uncooked rice and water to lamb mixture; stir well. raise temperature to high, cover saucepan and bring all to a boil. stir again, reduce heat to low and cover; let cook on low about 10 minutes. remove cover, stir again, replace cover and cook another 10 minutes; stir again. remove from heat and allow to stand 15 minutes.