T minus 23 to Spanish Rice

So the best Spanish Rice I've ever had is from a recipe my Uncle Ernie makes. It's awesome. Very flavorful and pretty easy to make. It does have some pretty precise requirements though: cold beer and the patience to not open the pot of rice for exactly 23 minutes. Not 24 or 22. It mus be 23 minutes exactly. The man has done experiments! He has perfected this rice over like 20 years by messing around with ingredients and measurements. He studied and asked 10 people how to make their special Spanish Rice and combined the recipes to creaate this masterpiece. It is phenomenal and comforting and just plain AWESOME...Just like my Uncle Ernie.

So this summer I was really lucky to be invited to a Carne Asada at my Aunt Stephanie and Uncle Ernie's house. I was very excited because I knew that this meant Spanish Rice. Ooh Spanish Rice, how I love thee with all the carbs that will end up on my nalgas. In any case I begged to watch the master, Uncle Ernie, at his craft. This was a great honor since he once taught me to make home made spaghetti sauce when I was younger and after I played around with the recipe he (jokingly) refused to teach me to cook ever again because I made it better.

So with my cold beer in hand and a hot pink note-card I experienced the cooking of the best Spanish Rice ever.


3 Tbl Vegetable Oil
4 Cloves of Garlic (Minced)
1 Yellow Onion (Sliced)
1 Large Tomato (Sliced)
14.5 oz Can of Tomato Sauce
2 1/2 - 3 C Rice
1 Lemon (Halved)
2 Tbl Chicken Bullion
1 1/4 Tbl each Salt, Pepper and Garlic Salt (Divided)
1 bunch Cilantro (Chopped)
*2 C water per cup of rice
*Cold Beer to drink

Heat a medium pan over high heat, pour 2 1/2 Tbl of vegetable oil in the pan. Saute a sliced onion (yellow preferred) with 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Season with salt, pepper, garlic salt to taste (I'd approximate at least a teaspoon of each the onions will be heavily speckled with black pepper as they should be) and cook for 3-5 minutes. Open a 14.5 oz can of tomato sauce. Take the onions out of the pan (a good place to put them is on the lid of the pan. saves dirty dishes). Add 1 Tbl vegetable oil to the hot pan and scrape up the seasoning bits. Add 2 1/2 -3 cups of rice to the oil and brown for approximately 3 minutes. Return the onion and garlic to the pan and mix. Add 1/2 a lemon (juiced) to the rice and onion mix and continue to stir and brown. Add the tomato sauce and 2 cups of water per cup of rice and mix. Stir to combine and boil uncovered adding 1 TBl each salt, pepper, and garlic salt, 2 Tbl chicken bullion to the boiling rice and 2 more cloves of garlic (minced). Top the rice with the slices of tomato (usually 1 large tomato), cilantro (Optional) and the juice of the other half of the lemon. Cook on Medium low with the lid for 23 minutes exactly. DO NOT LIFT THE LID!