Name: Atollado de arroz con carne, pacó y queso: Quibdó Rice
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 1 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 5 min
Cuisine: Colombian
Ingredients: 500 g long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained; 500 g commercially prepared fresh beef, cut into chunks; 1.5 L water for cooking the rice; 2 pacó fruits (Gustavia superba), about 500 g edible flesh, prepared according to local practice; 2 medium ripe tomatoes, about 250 g, chopped; 1 medium yellow onion, about 150 g, chopped; 2 long-onion or scallion stalks, about 80 g, chopped; 1 small head of garlic, about 30 g peeled cloves, finely chopped; 1 small branch of fresh basil, about 5 g leaves, chopped; 10 fresh cilantro leaves, about 3 g, chopped; 1 g dried oregano; 30 ml neutral oil; 500 g firm white cheese, cut into long pieces; 0–2 g fine salt, only after tasting

Wide wooden-table view of the beef and pacó rice, with a cut yellow pacó fruit behind the bowl.

Region Quibdó, Chocó, Colombian Pacific

Category Moist rice main course with beef, pacó and cheese

Active preparation About 35 minutes

Cooking time About 1 hour 30 minutes, depending on the beef

Total time About 2 hours 5 minutes

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Atollado de arroz con carne, pacó y queso: Quibdó Rice

Moist rice with beef, pacó fruit, herbs and white cheese

This Quibdó rice dish brings together beef, pacó, cheese and the fresh herbs of Chocó. The local community recipe cooks the rice in water, prepares the pacó separately, then adds herbs, beef and pacó before finishing with long pieces of cheese. Pacó is the yellow-fleshed fruit of Gustavia superba, used in Pacific cooking; it is not a synonym for pumpkin, although firm squash can stand in when the local fruit is unavailable.

The source does not specify a beef cut, cheese variety, yield or exact cooking times. This home version serves six and cooks the beef separately until tender before combining it with the rice. That practical step keeps the meat fully cooked without leaving the rice to overcook. Use commercially prepared beef and follow its storage and cooking instructions.

Ingredients

500 g long-grain white rice, rinsed and drained
500 g commercially prepared fresh beef, cut into chunks
1.5 L water for cooking the rice
2 pacó fruits (Gustavia superba), about 500 g edible flesh, prepared according to local practice
2 medium ripe tomatoes, about 250 g, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, about 150 g, chopped
2 long-onion or scallion stalks, about 80 g, chopped
1 small head of garlic, about 30 g peeled cloves, finely chopped
1 small branch of fresh basil, about 5 g leaves, chopped
10 fresh cilantro leaves, about 3 g, chopped
1 g dried oregano
30 ml neutral oil
500 g firm white cheese, cut into long pieces
0–2 g fine salt, only after tasting

Method

Prepare the beef Cook the beef in a separate saucepan according to its package directions until fully cooked and tender. Cut or shred it into small pieces. Retain a little mild cooking liquid only if it will help keep the rice moist.
Cook the pacó Prepare the pacó using local vendor guidance. Remove hard seeds and any inedible material, then cook the edible flesh in a small pan until tender. Chop or mash it as in the regional method. If pacó is unavailable, use firm orange-fleshed squash as a practical substitute, recognizing that it is a different ingredient.
Soften the aromatics Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium-low heat. Add the yellow onion, long onion, garlic and tomatoes. Cook gently until softened, then stir in the basil, cilantro and oregano.
Add the rice and water Stir in the rinsed rice and measured water. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat, cover and simmer, stirring from the bottom occasionally so the rice does not catch.
Fold in the beef and pacó When the rice is nearly tender, fold in the cooked beef and prepared pacó. Continue simmering until the rice is soft and everything is hot throughout. Add a little hot water if the mixture becomes dry before the rice is done.
Finish with the cheese Lay the long cheese pieces over the rice and fold them in gently. Cover and cook on low heat until the cheese is hot and softened and the rice is thick but still moist.
Taste and serve Taste before adding salt because the cheese may already be salty. Serve promptly in deep bowls, with tender rice, beef, pacó and visible strips of cheese.

Practical guidance

Practical

Practical guidance

Pacó has yellow edible flesh and a soft, squash-like role in this rice, but the fruit is a distinct local ingredient. Use food-grade pacó prepared by a knowledgeable local seller; discard hard seeds and any tough inedible parts. If it cannot be found, firm pumpkin or winter squash is an optional substitute, not an exact match. Cook the beef fully before mixing it into the rice. Follow package storage and preparation directions and do not use meat with an uncertain storage history. Choose a firm white cheese that keeps some shape; taste the dish before salting because cheese and beef can contribute sodium. Serve cooked rice hot. Refrigerate leftovers in shallow containers within two hours, keep at 4°C or colder and reheat to 74°C throughout. The rice thickens as it stands; add a splash of water when reheating.

Final notes

Note 1: Pacó is the defining ingredient; squash is only a practical fallback when pacó cannot be obtained. Note 2: The source does not specify the cheese variety. Taste before adding salt and serve while the rice remains moist.

Nutrition per serving

Serving size: 1/6 of the recipe, about 450–550 g depending on pacó and retained liquid
Calories: 820 kcal
Carbohydrates: 74 g
Protein: 40 g
Fat: 34 g
Fibre: 4 g
Sodium: 1,250 mg

Atollado de arroz con carne, pacó y queso: Quibdó Rice

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Final notes

Nutrition per serving

Colombian National Dishes

Sancocho de cerdo ahumado con carne salada y pacó: Quibdó Smoked Pork Sancocho

Cocido de chiguachía y bollo de supías: Choachí's Dry Cocido and Corn Bollo

Tamales antioqueños: Antioquia's Pork and Maize Parcels