Best Tasting Brown Rice with Green Beans and Bacon
Serving: 4servings
Ingredients
1poundof brown rice[0.45 kg] (approx 2 cups)
3cupsof vegetable broth[0.71 lt], or broth of your choice
1poundof bacon[0.45 kg] chopped (see notes)
2tablespoonof olive oil
1large red onion(½ lb[0.22 kg]), minced
1poundof green beans([0.45 kg] approx 2 cups), chopped
1 ½teaspoonof salt
2tablespoonminced flat parsley(Italian parsley)
Instructions
Step 1: Rest the rice
Pour the rice and the broth in a deep bowl and let it rest for an hour, this will help you get tender rice, and shorten the cooking time.Once that time has passed separate rice and broth using a strainer. Set the rice and the broth aside.
Step 2: Heat the bacon
To brown the bacon, heat the bacon over medium-low heat in a skillet and cook it, stirring regularly, until it has rendered most of the fat.Increase heat to medium-high and cook until the bacon has turned golden brown and crispy (careful with grease splatters, use a splatter guard for extra safety).Remove the bacon from the skillet and place it on a paper towel to absorb the excess fat. You may discard the fat.
Step 3: Cook the rice
To cook the rice, heat the olive oil over low heat in a dutch oven. Add the onion, and cook stirring until it turns out translucent.Add the green beans and rice, mix until they are coated with the oil. Add the broth and salt and increase heat to medium.
Step 4: Simmer
Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, stirring often to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom.
Step 5: Mix
Mix in the bacon, and parsley, and lower heat to minimum, and cover with a tight-fitting lid. Simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 6: Serving
Uncover and stir, moving the rice from the bottom to the top. Cover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Taste for doneness, rice should be firm but cooked-through. If needed, cover and simmer for 5 more minutes.Serve hot.
Cook's notes
If you don't mind the extra fat, drizzle two extra tablespoons of olive oil after the rice is cooked and fluff with a fork. It will improve the taste, but also keep the grains glistening and fluffed.