Hungry and tyad and need a one-pot meal?

Try the Colombian Arroz Ranchero which is similar to the Jamaican Seasoned Rice.

This famous comfort food is also eaten on special occasions and is said to originate in Mexico. However, here in Colombia, each region has its own version of this diverse dish;, plus it is well-loved.

Treasures of Colombia: Colombian Arroz Ranchero (Colombian Street Food)

By: Stacey-Ann Smith

Some time ago, I was invited to a birthday party and was told that this special rice was on the menu.

I was curious about what this dish entailed because the host and all the guests; were really pumped and excited about this dinner, which we were soon to devour.

Ingredients

Well, after waiting for about forty minutes, the rice was delivered and served. When I tasted it, immediately our Jamaican seasoned rice came to mind. The dish consisted of:

• Rice
• Bits of Chicken Breast
• Frankfurters
• Bits of crispy Pork Skin
• Scallion
• Onions
• Sweet Corn
• A small Bean (looks like Gungo Peas)

Preparation

I equate it to our Jamaican seasoned rice because the preparation is similar.

For example, the scallion, onion, and beans are placed in the pot along with the rice at the same time and are left to cook together. Meanwhile, in a frying pan the Franks, Chicken Breast and Pork Skin are being fried to perfection.

These meat portions are then added to the rice in its half-cooked state and then left to finish off until the rice is edible.

However, the crispy pork skin (chicharron) is not added to the pot with the other meat ingredients. Rather,  this is added to the plate after the rice has been served.

As I mentioned, there are many versions to the Arroz Ranchero.

Some regions use beef, mincemeat, different parts of the chicken, pork, different types of sausages and some even use seafood (shrimps, lobster, squid, and other meats).

Similarly, Jamaicans also use a myriad of meat ingredients when making the seasoned rice one pot dish. These ingredients vary from Chicken Breast, Chicken Neck, Chicken Back, Chicken Foot, Franks, Beef, Pork and Ackee, and Saltfish to name a few.

This is a typical Colombian party and special occasion dish. I am not sure if my fellow Jamaicans would gravitate to making this a birthday party dish when celebrating their kids. I would, however, recommend it, as it was really delicious and all the flavors were in sync.

I can say that it is one hundred percent easier than our traditional Curry Goat and Fried Chicken birthday dishes that are very time-consuming and can be extremely expensive.