From My Kitchen: Trinidadian Beef Pelau

One of the things that give me great pleasure is cooking. Obviously. It’s my happy place, my zen. It’s fun for me to challenge myself, and to cook brand new dishes and recipes. One of my good friends, Scott, hails from Trinidad, and he sent me this recipe, and I was immediately intrigued. As soon as possible I set about the task to make this lovely rice dish happen. The instructions didn’t look too complicated, if maybe a little lengthy. But it was easier than it looked, and I am shortening the instructions for you, so it won’t look overwhelming. It’s a super delicious rice dish, suitable perfectly for a weeknight dinner, or even for a game night or such, being that it is easy to serve, no assembly necessary!

What you’ll need

  • 3 pounds chuck beef cubes
  • 2 tbsp salt
  • 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tbsp black pepper
  • 14 scallions, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 1 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1/3 cup ketchup
  • 3 tbsp finely chopped garlic
  • 1 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme
  • 1/4 cup vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 7 large carrots, peeled, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 (15 oz) can pigeon peas
  • 1 (13 oz) can unsweetened coconut milk
  • 2 cups long grain rice
  • chopped cilantro

In a nonreactive bowl, combine sat, Worcestershire sauce, black pepper, 3/4 of the scallions, the Scotch Bonnet pepper, ginger, ketchup, garlic and thyme. Add beef cubes, and combine. Cover and chill for at least 12 hours. After the time has passed, heat the vegetable oil in a Dutch Oven over medium to high heat. Sprinkle in the brown sugar. Cook, undisturbed, until it sizzles and darkens to dark brown. Stir with a spatula, and let it cook for another 3 minutes. Add the beef and stir to coat.

Add carrots, pigeon peas, coconut milk, rice and salt. Stir to combine. Bring liquid to a simmer, then cook, covered, over medium to low heat until rice is tender, 40 to 50 minutes. Remove lid, continue to cook and stir occasionally until all liquid has evaporated. Serve with chopped cilantro.

Bon Appétit!

Author: Gotham Foodie

Hello there, fellow foodies! My name is Erica, I was born and raised in Germany, and moved to the US, New York City to be exact, in July of 1987. I have worked most of my time here in the Big Apple as a bartender, but my true love is food. I cook just about every day, I search for good food everywhere, and pretty much always find it. I don't consider myself a food critic, I don't have the culinary background for that kind of expertise. I do however know good food, good chefs and good restaurants. I report back about my culinary adventures, and I choose to leave out my unsatisfactory experiences. We have enough negativity in our daily lives, I don't want to add to that. All the recipes in my FROM MY KITCHEN and DOTW blogs are cooked and prepared by me. All pictures are taken by me. I don't always eat everything you see in my pictures, but you bet your buns, I do try everything. Last but not least, you should know that I am a huge Top Chef fan. I have never missed an episode of the Bravo TV show. I have at this point visited almost 20 restaurants run by Top Chef contestants, and I'm continuously impressed by their skill, drive and passion. So I will continue to seek them out, and I hope you join me in my journey!

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