Name: Arroz con Gandules y Pernil de Jaca/Rice and Pigeon Peas with Jackfruit "Pork"
Ingredients: 2 cups medium grain white rice; 2 cups water; 2 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 can (15 oz) green pigeon peas; 4 tbsp sofrito; 1 1/2 tbsp salad olives with peppers; 2 1/2 tsp or two packets sazón/seasoning; 6 tbsp tomato sauce; 2 tsp adobo; 2 cans (14 oz) young jackfruit; 2 tbsp olive oil; 1 tsp garlic salt; 1 tsbp cracked black pepper; 1 tsp sazón/seasoning; 1 tsp oregano; 2 garlic cloves, minced

This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one and make a qualifying purchase, I will get a small commission. This does not affect prices you pay in any way. Thank you for supporting our page!

Llegó, llegó, llegó la Navidad ♪♪ Hola! It is officially Christmas!! And those who know me know that it is my favorite time of the year. There are a lot of things I love about this time of year, including what it personally represents in my life. If you didn’t know, Puerto Rico’s Christmas is the longest in the world. It runs from right after Thanksgiving through January 6^th, which is Three Kings’ Day. And after that, there’s the “octavitas”, eight more days of celebration. Yes, we love to party haha. But, aside from the actual meaning of Christmas and how long I celebrate, my favorite part of Christmas is the food! In Puerto Rico, the food we eat for Christmas is as typical Puerto Rican as you will ever get and is delicious. It is also pretty meat-heavy, unfortunately. However, plenty of the food can be made vegan! I will share with you some recipes through the following weeks, so you can be Christmas-ready.

First up, is “arroz con gandules” (rice with green pigeon peas) with pulled “pernil” (pork) jackfruit. “Arroz con gandules” is THE Christmas dish. It is eaten year-round, but not as much as during Christmas, and you definitely can’t go without it in your parties. And my Puerto Rican “pork” jackfruit recipe rounds our the Christmas spirited meal.

Making the Rice

To make this rice, we usually use a “caldero”, which is basically a rice-making pot, such as this one. If not, you can always make it in a stock pot. I would suggest a pot that is a bit wide, instead of tall and narrow, so that the rice cooks evenly. This recipe starts out in a pretty familiar way, with the “guiso”. Heat the oil on med/high heat. When oil is hot, add the sofrito (see my post on sofrito here), olives with peppers, and sazón (use the packets or make your own – see my post here). Turn down the heat to med/low and cook for about three minutes. Add the tomato sauce and cook for another three to four minutes. Then, pour in the pigeon peas and combine with sauce; cook for two minutes, stirring every so often. Add in the rice, water and adobo, and combine with the pigeon peas, then bring to a simmer.

Simmer until most of the water has evaporated, for about seven to ten minutes. This is an essential part of the process. Depending on how much water you leave in the pot before covering it, you will get either a drier and looser, or wetter and stickier rice. It is a matter of taste, but don’t cover it before most of the water evaporates. It will be inedible if you do. While the rice is simmering, stir occasionally so the rice does not stick to the bottom. After the water evaporates, cover the rice and cook for ten minutes. Do not uncover the rice under any circumstance before those ten minutes are up. Then uncover and turn the rice. Make sure that you rotate all the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover again and cook for an additional ten minutes. Bonus, if you use a “caldero”, you will probably get “pegao”, which is a layer of rice that sticks to the bottom of the pot and gets sticky and hard (it’s yummy!). Serve right away!

Making the Pulled Jackfruit

Preheat the oven to 350° F. Drain two cans of jackfruit and shred it with your hands so it looks like pulled pork. I personally don’t like the squishy, round parts so I take them out. Pat the jackfruit dry and, in a bowl, mix with the oil, spices, sazón, and garlic. Lay the jackfruit onto a lined baking sheet and cover with foil. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Then, uncover and leave baking for another 15 minutes. Serve with the “arroz con gandules” and “tostones” (fried plantains)!

Buen provecho!

Print Recipe