Brazilian Arroz Pilaf ~ Biro Biro with Bacon
This Arroz Pilaf (also called Biro Biro) is a delicious recipe that gives plain rice, a staple in Brazil, so much flavor and texture! The rice is first sauteed in the bacon fat with onion and garlic, then cooked in broth for incredible depth of flavor. Then all sorts of goodness is added in to the fluffy rice! Arroz Pilaf has many different variations depending on the region or family traditions. This recipe is inspired by the versions that I have enjoyed here in São Paulo. It includes bacon bits, carrots, cilantro, and egg bringing color, texture, and taste bud delight with each bite!
Servings 6 servings
Ingredients
- 4 slices Raw Bacon diced
- ½ Yellow Onion, diced
- 1 clove Garlic, minced
- 1 cup Long grain white rice, uncooked
- 2 cups Chicken or vegetable broth
- 3 teaspoons Olive oil for cooking the carrots and eggs
- 1 Carrot, small (about ½-3/4 cup diced
- 2 Eggs
- ¼ cup Fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- Dice the bacon and cook in a medium pot (with a fitting lid) over medium-low heat for 10 minutes. Stir every couple minutes ensuring that the fat is rendering and the bacon is crisping up.
- While the bacon cooks, dice the onion, mince the garlic, dice the carrot, and chop the cilantro.
- When the bacon is crisp, transfer it to a plate using a slotted spoon so the fat stays in the pot.
- To the bacon fat, add the rice, the diced onion and the garlic, then stir to coat in the fat and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Then add the broth and the salt. Stir, turn the heat back up to medium-high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, stir again, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cover and let cook for 20 minutes.
- While the rice is cooking, preheat a medium non-stick pan over medium heat. Add a teaspoon or two of olive oil and the diced carrots. Cook the carrots in the pan for 5-8 minutes until fork tender. If needed you can add a splash of water and cover the pan to steam them and help them cook faster. Once cooked, transfer to the plate with the bacon.
- Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. Then to the same pan used for the carrots, add another teaspoon of olive oil and the beaten eggs. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring often so that the eggs cook scrambled. Once no longer runny, turn off the heat and set aside to add to the rice later.
- After 20 minutes, turn off the heat for the rice, but let the rice sit COVERED for another 5-10 minutes.
- Fluff up the rice with a fork and either in the pot, a separate bowl, or the frying pan, mix together the rice, crisp bacon pieces, carrots, cilantro, and scrambled egg. Serve and enjoy!
