WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS? Considering rice’s popularity in Mexican cooking, we decided to develop a preparation for nutty, chewy brown rice inspired by Mexican flavors. But brown rice can be tricky to cook well: when cooked on the stovetop, the long cooking time translates to an inedibly dry, crusty bottom layer. Although the microwave can speed up the cooking process, the rice tends to cook unevenly in the apppliance’s unpredictable heat. While rice cookers deliver excellent results, not everyone has one; to simulate the consistent, indirect heat of a rice cooker, we decided to bake the rice in a covered baking dish in the oven. This method eliminated scorching and guaranteed perfect, evenly cooked rice every time. Next we moved on to flavorings. Since brown rice has a distinct flavor of its own, pairing it with the right ingredients can make or break the final dish. We wanted to bump up the flavor of the rice (but not mask it) while also complementing its chewy texture. We quickly realized that, with our additions, we would need more space than we had in our small baking dish; since we would be sautéing vegetables anyway, we decided to streamline the recipe and move the whole process to a Dutch oven. As for flavorings, we first decided to swap out some of the water for chicken broth to boost savory flavor. We caramelized an onion and a green pepper to deepen their flavors. Once the rice was cooked, we stirred in a can of black beans, which added both complementary flavor and texture, and cilantro for a burst of freshness. A squeeze of lime brightened the rice nicely. Medium-grain or short grain brown rice can be substituted for the long-grain rice.
SERVES: 4 to 6
INGREDIENTS:
- 4 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped fine
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 ¼ cups water
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1 ½ cups long-grain brown rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed
- ¼ cup minced fresh cilantro
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- Lime wedges
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and well browned, 12 to 14 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in water and broth and bring to a boil. Off heat, stir in rice and salt. Cover, transfer pot to the oven, and bake until the liquid is absorbed and rice is tender, 1 hour 5 minutes to 1 hour 10 minutes.
- Remove the pot from the oven, add beans, and fluff rice with a fork to incorporate. Replace the lid and let the rice sit for 5 minutes. Fold in cilantro and pepper. Serve with lime wedges.
