Family Heirloom
Arroz con Salchichas with Pork Chops and Sweet Bananas
This meal has been a favorite in my family since I was a young girl. I can't say "little" girl because I still am! Whenever we have a family gathering, this is the first meal that is suggested. And it's usually the dinner that's picked! It's fun to make because you have to watch everyone so that they don't steal the Vienna sausages from the counter while you are attending to the other foods.
Arroz con Salchichas with Pork Chops and Sweet Bananas
Ingredients
For the rice:
- About 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 can Vienna sausages
- 2 tablespoons sofrito (homemade preferred)
- 1/2 can tomato sauce
- 2 envelopes Sazón seasoning
- 1 jar sweet red peppers
- 4 cups medium grain rice (Goya brand preferred)
- A pinch of salt (to taste)
For the pork chops:
- 4 pork chops
- Adobo (to taste)
- Sazón seasoning (to taste)
Plus:
- 2 sweet plantains
Preparation
Pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
To make this meal, you must have an aluminum Puerto Rican rice pot. Start off by putting the rice pot on the stove. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of the pot. Add the Vienna sausages and cook for 3-5 minutes. Then add the sofrito, tomato sauce, Sazón seasoning and the peppers. Stir and let cook together.
Make sure to rinse the rice before adding it to the pot. Add the rice to the pot. Add just enough HOT water to cover the rice – if you are not sure if you have enough water, mix the water with the rice and put your spoon in the center of the pot. Add a little more water if the spoon stands still – when it falls over, that's enough. If you add too much, just take some water out. Add the salt at this time or you will have bland-tasting rice.
For the pork chops, just season them with the adobo and Sazón. If you like the flavor of sofrito, you can add it to your seasoning. Bake the chops in the oven until cooked, about 45 minutes.
The sweet plantains can be sliced and either fired or baked with the pork. Serve the pork chops alongside the rice and plantains.
