Pork pilaf - general cooking principles
Pilaf is a very common dish in Central Asia. The main ingredients for its preparation are, in the first place, rice, lamb and the so-called zirvak - meat and onions with carrots, cooked in hot fat.
However, depending on your taste preferences, the composition of the components can be changed. For example, replace lamb with pork. As is known, this type of meat has a delicate texture and taste, and, therefore, pork pilaf is very rich, fragrant and extremely tasty.
Despite the huge variety of ingredients that can add pilaf (vegetables, various spices to improve taste and coloring in golden color), the technology of its preparation is about the same and includes, as a rule, three stages:
- perekalivaniye of oil or mix of fats;
- cooking zirvaka;
- adding rice, bringing dishes to readiness.
Food must be laid in strict sequence in hot fat: first the meat, then the onion, the final step in cooking the zirvak - carrots. Next, add the spices, put the rice in an even layer, without mixing with the roasting, and fill it with water at the rate of 125-130 grams. water to 500 grams. rice. Rice should be poured about 1.5 cm, if it is too dry, you can add a little more water.
When the pilaf boils, it is not recommended to close it with a lid. But as soon as the moisture is almost evaporated, the dish should be tightly closed, after having pierced it in several places, so that the rice stands up. Then thoroughly mix the rice with the bottom layer until smooth.
Pork pilaf - product preparation
Since rice is the basis for pilaf, then the quality of the food will directly depend on his choice. So, how to choose the right cereal?
Immediately it should be noted steamed rice is not at all what we need to prepare an elegant dish. It is better to choose special varieties designed for pilaf. Fortunately, now on the shelves you can find almost everything. We recommend using such varieties as “devzira” - large, fragrant pinkish rice, “jasmine”, “indica”, “sadry” or good long-grain varieties. Connoisseurs recommend soaking the cereal in salted water for a couple of hours before cooking pork pilaf, so the dish will be more delicious and rich.
Many housewives in pilaf overcook grated carrots - which is a common mistake. This zirvak is prepared on the basis of carrots, cut into strips. Onions should also be cut into sufficiently large cubes or half rings. As for pork, it is crushed in small pieces across the fibers, pre-thawed at room temperature and washed in running water.
Pork pilaf - preparation of dishes
A metal, in no way enamelled, surface with thick walls and an oval-curving bottom is necessary for the operation of oil slugging. Perfect for this role cast-iron cauldrons. The dish is first heated, then the oil is poured into it (or a mixture of fats other than butter), it is heated to a slow fire until a characteristic crackle, and the prepared ingredients are added. You can use an aluminum cauldron, but with the condition: its walls and bottom should not be thinner than one centimeter.
Recipe 1: Pork Pilaf - Classic Version
There are several variations of cooking classic pilaf. As a rule, the main elements in the dish are rice and lamb, but we will use pork. Be sure, it will not spoil the dish at all, rather, on the contrary, it will make it more tender and slightly fatter. Instead of the seasonings and spices listed below, you can buy ready-made “pilow spices” in the store.
Ingredients:
- rice 200 gr.,
- pork neck 300 gr.
- carrots 1 pc.
- one onion head
- a pair of garlic cloves
- bay leaf, barberry, 2 teaspoons, ground coriander, 1 teaspoon, red and black pepper, salt, vegetable oil
Preparation:
1. Peel the carrots, cut into strips. Dice onion and meat, finely chop the garlic. 2. Heat the dishes, add oil and heat it. Then lay out the meat, fry it should be on high heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Next, lay out onions, after 5 minutes - carrots, after another minute - garlic, coriander, barberry, salt, black and red pepper. Overcook everything for five minutes.
4. Add the rice to the roast, pour water, bring to a boil and close the lid. Tomim pilaf on low heat for about half an hour. 10 minutes before readiness, we throw a couple of leaves of bay leaf.
If the rice remains hard after boiling the liquid, add some more water. Stir the finished dish.
Recipe 2: Pork pilaf in a slow cooker
As is known, dishes cooked in a multivariate retain all the useful properties, so pilaf in a multicooker will be very fragrant, juicy, and most importantly, useful.
Ingredients:
- rice 2.5 cups
- Pork fillet 400 gr.
- 1 onion
- one carrot
- vegetable oil 4 table. lk
- 30 gr. drain oils
- garlic, pepper, spices for pilaf, salt to taste
Preparation:
1. Cut pork into cubes, pre-fry in a griddle. Add the onions and carrot slices to it. Fry everything for 10 minutes.
2. Place the resulting frying on the bottom of the multicasting tank. Top with rice, sprinkle with garlic, salt, seasoning to taste. Fill with water (about 4-5 measuring cups). Set the mode “plov”, if there is none - use “extinguishing”.
3. As soon as the pilaf is cooked, do not leave it in the heat maintenance mode so that the rice does not stick together.
Recipe 3: Pork Pilaf with Tomatoes in the Oven
Awesome dish! For this recipe, it is advisable to use cherry varieties. As the dishes fit ceramic shape, in extreme cases, you can use the roaster.
Ingredients:
- pork 300 gr.
- a glass of rice
- water 2 cups
- bulb large head
- carrots 2 pieces
- garlic 4 cloves
- sweet pepper 1 piece
- 4 tomatoes
- drain. butter 30 gr.
- grows. oil 3 tbsp. l - pepper, spices for pilaf, bay leaf, salt
Preparation:
Heat the oven to 180 degrees. While it is warming, cook meat and vegetables.
1. Cut the meat, carrot slices, onions and garlic chop coarsely. Next, make the zirvak in the traditional way described above, at the end add chopped tomatoes and garlic to the roast and fry for another 5-7 minutes.
2. Place the frying on the bottom of a greased cauldron, add rice, season with spices, pour boiling water and place in the oven for 20 minutes without closing the lid. After this time, get pilaf, add plums. oil, mix thoroughly and put in the oven for another 15-20 minutes.
In the pilaf, you can add barberry, prunes, raisins and other favorite components to taste. Enjoy your meal!
Pork Pilaf - Tips & Tricks
- For plov pilaf, you must choose the meat of a young animal. This is the only way to achieve the best taste properties of a dish.
- Experienced culinary experts advise using several types of oils for the smelting: sunflower, linseed, olive, sesame and nut. You can mix them with pork fat.
- Fine rice (Pakistani, Khan) before cooking should be prepared as follows: wrap 3 table with cloth. spoons of coarse salt, put it on the bottom of the dish, add rice and cover with cold water for 8-10 hours. After that, the rice is thoroughly washed and cooked in the traditional way.
- For cooking pilaf rice, it is better to pour hot water. In the east, it is assumed that from the moment of boiling the grits are cooked for exactly twelve minutes: three minutes are cooked on high heat, seven - on average, and the last two minutes - on low.
