Dirty Rice

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Great side dish or (for me) can even be the main dish. Especially with some freshly baked crusty bread!
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Yet another version of this delicious original South Louisiana dish of rice.

There are as many different recipes as there are grains of rice. Okay, maybe exaggerated so let’s say chili’s?
Anyway, the original uses gizzards, liver, ground beef, etc…
Many use sausage. Even a roux & I NEVER use a roux in THIS dish.
However, I can be flexible and swing a little here & there to go with what’s at hand/pantry. →
I used only ground BEEF, some use pork or both. 😀
Etc., etc….
The rice is the only part you really need measurements and timing for.
→

Dirty Rice

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup long-grain rice
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups water
3 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 pound ground beef
1/2 cup chicken livers & giblets, minced
3 slices of bacon, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
1/2 green bell pepper (I only had red, yellow & orange), chopped
1 Tbsp Cajun seasoning
2 green onions, chopped

Method

1. Cook the rice according to the package instructions, but use chicken broth for the cooking liquid. Once the rice has finished cooking, remove from heat.

2. While the rice is cooking, mash and finely chop the chicken livers, or purée briefly in a blender. In a large pan that can eventually hold the rice plus everything else, put 1 tablespoon of oil plus the bacon in and cook over medium-low heat until the bacon is crispy.
3. Add the ground beef, other meats and increase the heat to med/high. Allow the meat to brown before stirring. As soon as the beef starts to brown, add the final tablespoon of oil and add the celery, peppers, and onions. Brown them all over medium-high heat. You may notice the bottom of the pan getting crusty. Keep it from burning by lowering the heat if needed. Add the remaining cup of chicken broth and deglaze the pan by scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
Add the Cajun seasoning and turn the heat to high. Boil away most of the chicken stock and then add the cooked rice. Toss to combine.
4. Turn off the heat and add the green onions (optional) Toss once more to combine and serve hot.