Meat

Carreteiro – Brazilian BBQ Rice dish

Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 30 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 350g long grain rice, basmati or brown rice work well; 1 large onion; 500 ml beef or chicken stock; A few drops of Worcestershire sauce; 50g grated Grana Padano cheese (parmesan or pecorino will work just as well); Some springs of rosemary or thyme and a bay leaf, if you have them.

This is the ultimate way to use up all the barbecue leftovers, and a good reason to buy more than you need in the first place!

This is a dish that is common in Brazil and – correct me if I’m wrong – has no real established recipe. The folks in the south of Brazil know their barbecue very well indeed, and this is the best way to cook up those roasted meats. Essentially, it is just rice cooked in stock with vegetables and meat. This recipe is a good starting point but there are endless variations possible. I tend to use beef stock if the meat I’m using is more like red meat, eg leftover steak, burgers or lamb. Equally, use chicken stock for a lighter meal if you are using lighter meats, eg leftover chicken or sausages.

It’s a real ‘chuck it in, give it a stir’ special and packs in loads and loads of flavour. The measures are very approximate as it will depend how much leftover meat that you have and what type of meat it is.

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(1 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5)

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes – Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

350g long grain rice, basmati or brown rice work well
1 large onion
500 ml beef or chicken stock
A few drops of Worcestershire sauce
50g grated Grana Padano cheese (parmesan or pecorino will work just as well)
Some springs of rosemary or thyme and a bay leaf, if you have them.

Instructions

Nose around in your fridge for leftover barbecue meat, eg sausages, chicken, ribs, burgers etc. Strip any meat from the bones and cut/rip into bite-size chunks.

Chop the onion and sweat in a pan with a neutral oil, eg rape-seed oil or rice bran oil. Cook for 5-10 minutes until soft but do not burn.

Add the long grain rice and coat in the onion before adding the stock.

Stir well and add your leftover barbecue meat.

Add some rosemary or thyme and a bay leaf. Don't worry about chopping these, you can fish them out later.

Leave to simmer for 10-12 minutes, according to the packet instructions on the rice.

Just before the end of cooking, add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and season with salt and pepper. Add some grated cheese if you like, or leave out if you want the dish a little lighter. The rice should be just-cooked, fluffy with separated grains, more like a pilaf than a risotto. You can add some chopped chives or parsley if you have some, or just leave it as it is - its an unfussy dish that doesn't need overly dressing-up.

Serve with some green salad and plan your next barbecue so that you can make carreteiro again!

Notes

The variations are endless with leftovers dishes like this. Experiment with different meats, use of chicken or beef stock, add some char-grilled veg or cook some carrot and celery with the onion for extra depth. Some tomato puree would give colour, or a splash of white wine would add some acidity.