This traditional Colombian risotto with pork and sausage is typically served for special occasions, but you will love its creamy texture with a spicy kick any day.
In a Dutch oven or large non-stick skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the 1 pound of cubed pork and cook about 4-5 minutes on each side, until cooked on the outside.
Add 2 cups of water and 2 cups of chicken broth. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt, cover and cook on medium heat for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, make hogao sauce by heating 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, 1 chopped tomato, 2 chopped green onions, 1 minced garlic, ¼ cup chopped red bell pepper, 1 tablespoon sazon goya seasoning, ¼ teaspoon ground cumin, ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro.
Cook for 10 to 15 minutes over medium-low heat, stirring often. Remove from the heat and set aside.
To the skillet with cooked pork, stir in 1 cup rice, one yellow potato cut into 1-inch pieces, ½ lb smoked sausage, and hogao sauce. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat to medium-low. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, then uncover and cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid has evaporated and rice and potatoes are cooked through, about 10 minutes.
If necessary, add more water until the rice has a consistency similar to risotto.
Remove from the heat and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with fried green plantains (patacones or tostones), slices of avocado and hard-boiled eggs if desired. Enjoy!
Notes
Don't use long-grain rice as it cooks longer, and you might need more liquid. I always use either Jasmine or Basmati unless I'm making Italian risotto that requires Arborio rice.
You can substitute pork with chicken if you prefer.
Don't substitute the sazon goya seasoning unless you can make your own.
Depending on the skillet and rice you're using (in case you can't follow recommendations), you might run into these two problems:
The liquid has evaporated, but your rice is still crunchy. Add more liquid to the dish so that the rice can finish cooking.
The dish is cooked, but the consistency is runny. Continue cooking, stirring, until all liquid has evaporated and the dish is creamy.
Please keep in mind that nutritional information is a rough estimate and can vary significantly based on its products and serving size.
Storage:Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 3-5 days.