Pilau (pronounced perlo)

Howdy you guys who were asking for Aunt Beatrice's pilau recipe. Here is a copy of one I sent to a history magazine that's compiling a cook book. Don't know if they'll use it but thought y'all might!

first a short history-

  A group of Americans who call themselves "Minorcans"  live  in and around  St. Augustine and New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Indentured servants from 1768 through 1777 their ancestors  boarded Dr. Andrew  Turnbull's ships at the deep water port of Mayhon . Originally from Italian, Greek and Balearic islands they came to then British controlled Florida  to farm indigo.

 My mother's family traces their ancestry through three  passengers on those ships: Antonio Canova, a Senor Pacettii, and Juan Andreu;  from Greece , Italy and Minorca respectively.   These early settlers brought  with them the recipe for mayonnaise which was invented in Mayhon, Minorca; pepper seeds ; and Mediterranean recipes.

 The Minorcan families of St. Augustine still make this traditional pilau (pronounced perlo) for holidays and special occasions. Not too spicey for even delicate pallets it is a rice dish that saves the pepper flavor without the heat. Really!

                                             

                                       Pork Pilau

3-5 lb pork butt cut into stew meat sized cubes

  with some of the fat left on

1 tbsp veg oil

dashes salt/pepper

2 small bell peppers

1 medium onion

2 stalks celery cleaned stringed and diced

*1 datil pepper (can substitute small green chili pepper )

1 twelve to sixteen ounce can whole tomatoes

2 cups long grain rice (not instant)

**Large casserole pot

   Heat vegetable oil on med high. Salt and pepper pork cubes to taste.Quickly brown   meat and remove from pot to a side container leaving drippings.

 Add vegetables. Saute. Remove to side container.Again leave drippings in pot.

 Over medium heat add can of well drained tomatoes. Stir constantly till tomatoes will fit into a tablespoon (more or less). Color should be reddish brown to dark brown. This is the only time consuming part of  the dish and is very important to the flavor.

Remove pot from heat.

 Add browned meat and stir with tomatoes.  Add sauteed vegetables then dry rice mixing  thoroughly with other contents. Add water to barely cover rice. You can always add water later if you need it but too much to start out will make it gummy. DO NOT STIR AFTER WATER IS ADDED.

 Place over medium high heat until mixture begins to boil. Turn heat to medium simmer. Add one fresh datil pepper or 1-2 chili peppers. REMOVE PEPPERS AFTER 5-15 MINUTES. Cover  with a loose lid  till rice is done.  Take lid off and turn heat to lowest temperature till mixture is dry. When dry remove from heat and stir just enough to distribute meat and vegetables evenly.

* Fresh datil peppers, as far as I know can only be bought in St. Augustine. Although a Minorcan will tell you there IS NO substitute, I have used the little green peppers that come in a glass jar and are used in some restaurants as a condiment. Jalapenos aren't a bad choice either.

** Not cast iron. No coating like Teflon. Preferably club aluminum or some other pot of that thickness.

here's a pic of duck and sausage pilau from last Thanksgiving. I've done better but it didn't turn out too bad (or last long!). Just to show the consistency of the rice. I did the sauteing in a small thick pot and let it finish in the cast iron. Had to improvise (was at my daughter's).

Lois