Santander Arroz con Menudencias with Chicken Giblets and Pork

Rustic Colombian arroz con menudencias topped with scallion

Region Santander, Colombia

Category Main dish / rice preparation

Yield 8 servings

Prep time 30 minutes

Marinating time None

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Arroz con Menudencias

The Santander traditional-cuisine inventory records arroz con menudencias as a Sunday main dish. It names chicken heart, gizzard, liver, feet and neck, pork, chopped onion, garlic and tomatoes. The inventory does not provide exact quantities or a complete method, so this is a practical home-scale interpretation of that ingredient group.

The method cooks the giblets and pork before the rice so the broth can season the grains. Cut the meats into small pieces and stir them back into the pot with a tomato, onion, scallion and garlic sofrito. A separate Barranquilla cooking-school recipe also uses giblet broth to finish rice, but its soy sauce and celery belong to that different version and are not used here.

Ingredients

Ingredients

Meat and broth

250 g cleaned chicken hearts
300 g cleaned chicken gizzards
150 g chicken liver
2 cleaned chicken feet, about 200 g total
1 chicken neck, about 250 g
300 g boneless pork shoulder, cut into small pieces
2.5 L water for simmering the meat and giblets

Rice and sofrito

500 g long-grain white rice, rinsed
900 ml strained cooking broth, hot
3 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped, about 300 g
2 medium yellow onions, finely chopped, about 250 g
2 scallion stalks, chopped, about 80 g
4 garlic cloves, minced, about 12 g
30 ml neutral oil
12 g fine salt, divided or to taste
2 g ground cumin
2 g ground black pepper

Method

Method

Method

Prepare the meat safely Buy inspected, cleaned chicken giblets and fresh pork. Keep them refrigerated at or below 4°C until cooking and separate from ready-to-eat food. Do not wash raw poultry. Clean the hands, knife, board and work surface after handling the raw meat.
Simmer the pork and giblets Put the hearts, gizzards, chicken feet, neck and pork in a large 6 L pot. Add 2.5 L water and bring to a boil, skimming as needed. Partly cover and simmer gently for about 50 minutes, until the gizzards and feet are becoming tender. Add the chicken liver and continue simmering for about 10 minutes. Check the thickest pieces of every poultry item with a clean food thermometer; each must reach at least 73.9°C. Confirm the pork also reaches at least 73.9°C in this mixed dish. Continue cooking and recheck any piece that has not reached the target.
Strain and chop the cooked meat Lift the meat out with clean tongs. Strain the broth and measure 900 ml for the rice; keep it hot. Discard the neck and bones, then finely chop the edible meat, hearts, gizzards, liver and soft tissue from the feet. Keep the cooked meat away from raw-meat tools and surfaces.
Build the rice with sofrito and broth Heat 30 ml oil in a heavy 6 L pot over medium heat. Add the onions and scallions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and tomatoes and cook for about 5 minutes, until the tomatoes break down. Add the rinsed rice, cumin, black pepper and 8 g salt; stir for 2 minutes to coat the grains. Fold in the chopped meat and pour in 900 ml hot broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook over low heat for 18–20 minutes, until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed. If the grains are still firm, add a small splash of hot water and cook for a few more minutes. Taste and add the remaining 4 g salt gradually if needed.
Rest and serve Turn off the heat and leave the pot covered for 10 minutes. Fluff the rice gently with a fork and serve hot. Keep the dish steaming hot until it is eaten. If saving leftovers, spread the rice in shallow containers and chill it within 1 hour.

Practical guidance

Practical

Nutrition per serving

These are high-uncertainty ingredient estimates for 8 portions, using composition matches for rice and vegetables and the nearest available chicken giblet and pork entries. Organ proportions, pork fat, broth retained and cooked rice yield vary, so actual calories and macronutrients may differ by about 25% or more. Salt adjustment changes sodium substantially.

Arroz con Menudencias Recipe

A Santander-style one-pot rice dish with chicken heart, gizzard, liver, feet and neck, plus pork, tomato, onion and garlic. The giblets and pork cook first; their broth flavors the rice as it finishes with the meat and a soft tomato-onion base.

Practical guidance

Buy inspected giblets: Ask for cleaned hearts, gizzards, liver, feet and neck intended for human consumption. Keep them cold on the way home and refrigerate promptly. The inventory names these parts but does not prescribe their exact proportions. Cook the liver later: Liver cooks faster than gizzards and feet, so add it near the end of the simmer. Verify the temperature of several thick pieces rather than relying on color or cooking time alone. Use broth carefully: Measure 900 ml strained broth for 500 g rice. The broth may contain natural fat; skim some off if you prefer a lighter result. If the rice is firm after the liquid is absorbed, add hot water a little at a time. Cool rice quickly: Rice can support bacterial growth if it cools slowly. Keep it hot until serving, or spread leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate within 1 hour. Use promptly, reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, and discard rice left at room temperature for an extended period. Store the meat and rice together: Refrigerate leftovers at or below 4°C and use within 3–4 days. Reheat the entire portion to at least 74°C, stirring so the center heats evenly.

Allergens and food safety

The listed ingredients contain no major declared allergen, but packaged seasonings and shared equipment may introduce allergens or cross-contact. Keep raw poultry and pork separate from ready-to-eat food. Cook all chicken pieces, including giblets, to at least 73.9°C, checked with a food thermometer. Cool rice-containing leftovers within 1 hour, refrigerate promptly and reheat once to at least 74°C.

Final notes

Key point 1: Cook the inspected chicken giblets and pork fully before chopping them into the rice. Key point 2: The Santander inventory associates this rice dish with Sunday meals; quantities here form a practical eight-serving adaptation.

Nutrition per serving

Nutrition per serving

Serving basis: 1/8 of the rice and meat mixture
Calories: 640 kcal
Carbohydrate: 62 g
Protein: 36 g
Fat: 24 g
Fibre: 3 g
Sodium: 780 mg