Arroz Mamposteao

By Von Diaz

Published March 24, 2021

Arroz Mamposteao
Christopher Simpson for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(291)
Comments
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Rice and beans are religion in Puerto Rico, though they’re typically prepared separately but served together, several spoonfuls of beans on top of white rice. But mamposteao — easily my favorite name for a Puerto Rican dish — combines the two. It’s a preparation intended to make use of leftovers, as it benefits from day-old rice and prepared beans. Traditionally, pork and tomato sauce are added — but, for a more subtle approach to this recipe, bacon fat replaces ham or tocino (fatback) here, giving the dish a smoky richness without any meat. You can prepare this dish from start to finish with fresh rice and fresh beans, but it’s not recommended. Think of this as a satisfying way to make use of leftover ingredients that also pairs well with a variety of Puerto Rican dishes.

Featured in: Von Diaz’s Essential Puerto Rican Recipes

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1½tablespoons bacon fat or olive oil
  • ½cup sofrito
  • 1teaspoon store-bought or homemade sazón
  • 1½cups or 1 (15-ounce) can drained, cooked beans, such as kidney, pinto or pink beans
  • ½cup chicken or vegetable broth (or liquid from beans), plus more as needed
  • 2½cups cooked long- or short-grain white rice
  • 1teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
  • Chopped fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
Ingredient Substitution Guide
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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a wide skillet or wok, heat bacon fat over medium-high until just simmering. Add sofrito and sazón, and sauté, stirring frequently, until liquid has evaporated and mixture darkens in color, 4 to 5 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add beans and broth, and bring to a simmer. Cook until broth thickens, forming a sauce, about 3 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add rice and 1 teaspoon salt, and increase heat to high, stirring well to incorporate. If you want a moister rice, simply add more broth.

  4. Step 4

    Once rice is fully heated and steaming (about 2 minutes), reduce heat to medium, and press rice gently into the pan, allowing the bottom of the rice to crisp, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes.

  5. Step 5

    Fold the bottom of the rice into the top to incorporate. Rice should be compact, but fairly dry. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes longer, stirring once or twice more until it reaches the desired crispness. Season with salt to taste.

  6. Step 6

    To serve, scoop into a small rice bowl, press gently, then turn each onto a plate or into a larger bowl. Garnish with cilantro.

Ratings

4 out of 5
291 user ratings
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Comments

Chloe

Double or triple the sazón.

Olivia

The recipe calls for rice that is already cooked. I agree it is delicious.

Teresa

The rice at the bottom will be kind of compact and browned. You can use a spatula or large spoon to get under the layer of rice at the bottom and turn it upside down, not all at once but in sections or chunks. It's not quite stirring, more bringing the bottom layer to the top so the crispy bits will be distributed throughout. Hope this makes it easier to visualize!

NT

We made this as written using home-cooked Rio Zape beans from Rancho Gordo. It was absolutely delicious and reminded us of paella with its warm, rich flavors of smoked paprika and saffron (from the Sazon).

MTW

This is simple and great. I didn’t have sofrito or any of the ingredients to make it. So i used some jarred mild harrisa and it worked great as a substitute.

Bethany

Cut up pieces of thick cut bacon (from which I got the bacon fat) and added it. Also added sautéed onion and bell pepper. This came out amazing!

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