Brazilian Dried Beef Rice (Arroz Carreteiro)
Arroz carreteiro Say it: ah-HOHS kah-heh-TAY-roo
Arroz carreteiro is the hearty one-pot rice of southern Brazil, born on the cattle trails of Rio Grande do Sul where drovers cooked salted dried beef with rice over an open fire. Shredded charque is browned hard, then simmered with onion, garlic and tomato until the grains turn glossy and deeply savoury. It is everyday food and party food at once, served at churrascos and family lunches, and it tastes of smoke, beef and sweet tomato — simple, filling and quietly spectacular.
Brazilian Dried Beef Rice (Arroz Carreteiro)
Arroz carreteiro
Pronounced ah-HOHS kah-heh-TAY-roo
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 45 min
- Total
- 1 hr 5 min
- Level
- Easy
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
Dried beef
Rice
Method
Cut the carne seca into large chunks and soak in plenty of cold water in the refrigerator for 12 to 24 hours, changing the water 3 or 4 times, until it is no longer aggressively salty.
Drain the beef, put it in a pot with fresh cold water to cover and simmer for 30 minutes, until tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Drain, cool slightly and shred finely, discarding any hard fat or gristle.
Heat the oil in a wide heavy pot over medium-high heat and add the shredded beef. Fry for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring, until the strands are browned and crisp at the edges.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onion and cook for 5 minutes until soft and translucent, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Add the tomatoes and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, stirring, until they collapse into a thick, jammy paste and the mixture looks glossy.
Stir in the drained rice and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until every grain is coated and smells toasty.
Pour in the hot water or broth, add the salt and pepper, and bring to a full boil. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 18 to 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender.
Take the pot off the heat and rest, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, taste for salt, and fold in the parsley and spring onion greens just before serving.
Regional variants
Some cooks add diced smoked sausage or bacon with the beef, and a fried egg on top is a popular home addition. In the chicken version, shredded cooked chicken replaces the carne seca and the dish is called arroz carreteiro de frango.
Cook's notes
- Taste the shredded beef before frying: if it is still very salty, blanch it once more in boiling water for 10 minutes and drain well.
- Use a wide, heavy pot so the rice cooks in a shallow layer and stays loose rather than steaming sticky.
- If you use fresh beef instead of dried, brown it well and add an extra pinch of salt plus a splash of soy sauce for the cured flavour.
Serve with
A green salad, farofa or a squeeze of lime, and cold beer or guaraná.
Make ahead and storage
Keeps 3 days in the refrigerator; reheat with a splash of water, covered, over low heat. The soaking of the dried beef must be started a day ahead.
