Overview
Popayán Arroz Relleno (Molded Rice with Pork and Longaniza)
Make Popayán arroz relleno with beef-broth rice, pork, longaniza, white wine and queso doble crema
Colombian National Dishes
Popayán Arroz Relleno (Molded Rice with Pork and Longaniza)
Make Popayán arroz relleno with beef-broth rice, pork, longaniza, white wine and queso doble crema
Colombian National Dishes
Ingredients
Ingredients
Rice and broth
- 450 g long-grain white rice, rinsed until the water is mostly clear and drained
- 1.1 L hot beef broth, preferably low-sodium
Pork and longaniza filling
- 400 g pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 2 cm cubes
- 250 g fresh pork longaniza, casing removed if needed and cut into 5 mm slices
- 180 g red onion, finely diced
- 120 ml dry white wine, divided
To layer and finish
- 300 g queso doble crema, cut into 5 mm cubes and divided
- 60 g unsalted butter, divided among the rice, filling and mold
- 6 g fine salt, divided; adjust to the saltiness of broth and sausage
- 2 g ground black pepper
Method
Method
Method
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Prepare the ingredients and mold Keep the pork and fresh longaniza refrigerated until cooking. Set out a large heavy pot, a wide skillet and a 2.5 L ring mold or deep ovenproof dish. Cut the cheese into small cubes so it softens between the rice layers. Use the remaining ten grams of butter to grease the mold well, including its center tube. Keep raw-meat utensils and surfaces separate from cooked rice and cheese.
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Cook the pork filling Melt twenty grams of the butter in the skillet over medium heat. Add the pork shoulder in one layer and brown on several sides. Cook until the center reaches 63°C, then rest for 3 minutes. Add the longaniza and cook until browned and at least 71°C in the center. Transfer the cooked meat to a clean plate. Add the red onion and cook until softened. Pour in most of the wine, scrape up the browned bits and simmer until the sharp alcohol smell fades. Return the meat, season with the filling salt and pepper, and keep warm.
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Cook the rice in broth Melt thirty grams of the butter in the heavy pot. Add the drained rice and stir until the grains look lightly glossy. Pour in the hot beef broth and add the rice salt. Bring to a gentle boil, cover tightly and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender and the liquid is absorbed, usually 16–18 minutes depending on the rice and pot. Turn off the heat and leave covered briefly, then fluff gently. The grains should hold their shape rather than become wet or mushy.
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Layer and warm the mold Heat the oven to 180°C. Spoon half the rice into the buttered mold and press into an even layer without crushing the grains. Scatter the pork and longaniza filling across it, add half the cheese, then cover with the remaining rice. Finish with the rest of the cheese and drizzle the remaining wine over the top. Cover loosely with foil and bake until hot throughout and the cheese has softened, about 15 minutes.
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Rest, unmold and serve Remove the mold from the oven and rest for 10 minutes so the rice settles. Run a thin spatula around the edge and center tube, then invert onto a warm platter and lift the mold away carefully. Ease any stuck grains back into place. Cut into wedges and serve warm while the queso doble crema is soft.
Practical guidance
Practical
Nutrition per serving
These rounded estimates use generic food-composition data and include the listed salt. Longaniza, cheese and broth vary in fat and sodium, so the final values depend on the products used and are approximate.
Arroz relleno
Tender rice cooked in beef broth surrounds pork, longaniza, white wine, red onion and melting queso doble crema. Arroz relleno is recorded as an everyday main dish from Popayán, Cauca. The Colombian Ministry of Culture’s traditional-food inventory describes rice made with beef broth, pork, chopped longaniza, white wine, queso doble crema, red onion and butter. The entry does not give measured quantities or a full method, so this recipe is a practical home adaptation of that ingredient list rather than a transcription of one household formula. A University of Cauca publication catalog lists the dish as “Arroz relleno (or molde de arroz relleno),” supporting a molded presentation. Here, the rice cooks in beef broth while pork and longaniza brown with red onion and wine. The filling is layered between rice with cubes of queso doble crema, then warmed in a ring mold until the cheese softens. A separate Cauca recipe also uses layers and a mold, although its ingredients differ; molding is a practical interpretation, not a detail confirmed in the Ministry inventory. The result is savory and substantial, with the gentle acidity of wine, browned sausage and mild, stretchy cheese. Long-grain rice gives the mold enough structure to unmold and slice while staying tender. Let it rest briefly before turning it out, and serve the wedges warm so the cheese remains soft.
Practical guidance
Choose the longaniza carefully: The inventory names chopped longaniza but does not specify whether it is fresh or cured. This adaptation uses fresh pork sausage. Keep it chilled and cook it thoroughly; if using fully cooked longaniza, add it after browning the pork and heat it through without drying it out. Use a mold that releases cleanly: A ring mold gives the rice a central opening and helps it warm evenly. A buttered deep baking dish works too; serve portions from the dish if it does not release easily. Avoid packing the rice tightly, which makes the texture heavy. Balance salt after checking the ingredients: Longaniza, queso doble crema and beef broth can already be salty. Taste the filling and rice before layering, and reduce added salt if your products are strongly seasoned. Low-sodium broth makes that adjustment easier. Make components ahead: Cook the rice and filling shortly before assembly for the best texture. If preparing ahead, cool promptly in shallow containers, refrigerate, and assemble when ready to bake. Bring a chilled assembled dish to 74°C throughout before serving. Store leftovers safely: Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature for more than two hours. Move leftovers to shallow covered containers and refrigerate promptly; use within three to four days. Reheat to 74°C throughout. Refrigerated rice firms up, so cover it and add a spoonful of broth before reheating.
Allergens and food safety
This recipe contains milk from queso doble crema and butter. White wine may contain sulphites; check its label if that is a concern. Keep raw pork and sausage separate from cooked rice and ready-to-eat food, and wash hands, utensils and surfaces after handling them. Cook whole pork pieces to at least 63°C and rest 3 minutes; cook fresh ground sausage to at least 71°C. Keep cooked rice hot during assembly and do not leave it at room temperature for more than two hours. Refrigerate leftovers promptly and reheat to 74°C throughout.
Final notes
Remember 1: Beef broth, pork, longaniza, white wine, queso doble crema, red onion and butter define the recorded Popayán ingredient family. Remember 2: A gentle hand when layering and a short rest help molded rice hold together when sliced.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition per serving
- Serving basis: 1 of 8 portions, including rice, pork, longaniza and cheese
- Calories: 580 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 47 g
- Protein: 27 g
- Fat: 30 g
- Fibre: 1 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
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