Cooking pilaf and its many recipes are always surrounded by a mass of myths and legends that give this dish a kind of inaccessibility. There is even an opinion that only an experienced cook can make this treat really tasty and aromatic. However, in fact, this is not at all the case, and absolutely every housewife, who has even minimal cookery skills, can cook a spicy pilaf.
Incredibly juicy, crumbly and aromatic cereals will be appropriate in almost any case. This dish is perfect for an outing picnic, for a quiet family dinner, and for celebrating an event. In addition, such a treat can simply be prepared in advance, providing hearty dinners to your household for several days.
Today, there are a huge number of simple and completely affordable ways for everyone how to cook beef pilaf at home. It is thanks to this variety that you can choose for yourself the most convenient option for creating your culinary masterpiece.
Product selection
Perhaps, beef is not so traditional for cooking pilaf, unlike pork and lamb, but it can also turn out to be quite a good dish. And in order to make the meat as soft and juicy as possible, and the treat itself to be aromatic and mouth-watering, you must carefully consider the selection of the source product.
Keep in mind that for the preparation of a traditional Uzbek dish, it is best to choose the part of the carcass that contains many gelling substances - a scapula or brisket. Be sure to keep in mind that veal is a dietary product, but it is extremely tough, so you should cook it for at least three hours.
By the way, those who do not know how to cook beef pilaf, should know that this can be done not only in the pot, but also in a cauldron, slow cooker and even in a pan. It all depends on your convenience and personal taste preferences.
Choosing the right cereal is the main secret of quality pilaf. Today on the shelves of the supermarket you can often see special rice, designed specifically for this dish. But if you do not have the opportunity to purchase such a product, pay attention to steamed and long-grained varieties of cereals. As a rule, they are best suited for making this treat.
Traditional way
This recipe for cooking pilaf from beef with a photo is very simple, which is why it is quite accessible even to novice hostesses. Before the aromas of such a dish it will be difficult to resist even sophisticated gourmets, because this treat is truly royal.
Component list
So, for cooking you will need:
- 0.5 kg of beef;
- a glass of cereal;
- 50 g of fat;
- a few cloves of garlic;
- 0.5 kg of onions;
- the same amount of carrots;
- a third of a glass of vegetable oil;
- salt to your taste;
- from spices: zira, barberry, hops-suneli.
Course of action
First of all, it is necessary to prepare the basis for the future pilaf, which the Uzbeks call "zirvak" - it is a mixture of vegetables and meat. If you decide to use a simple pan, try to give preference to thick-walled dishes. Heat oil well in it and start to fry onion, chopped into small cubes, on it. It should be cooked to a golden hue.
Now comes the turn of meat, cut into small slices and lard, which can be put whole. After all, before adding rice to the mixture, it will need to be removed from the pan. After 5 minutes, gently chop the carrots into the mass. By the way, it is desirable to cut it into thin cubes or rings.
Zirvak should be cooked for about half an hour on low heat. For 15 minutes, fry the ingredients in the open form, and then it is already necessary to cover the pan with a lid and leave to simmer. Do not forget to stir the mixture from time to time so that it does not burn. At the end, cooked zirvak should be seasoned with salt and other spices.
Thoroughly rinse the cereal, draining and filling in a new liquid until it becomes transparent. Remove any pop-up grain and debris. Pour thoroughly washed rice into a pan to the remaining ingredients. Do not forget to extract the fat in advance. Pour the cereal with cool liquid so that it only covers the rice. Then cover the pan with a lid and let cook over low heat. 5 minutes before rice is ready, stick the peeled garlic cloves in it.
Now you know how to cook beef pilaf in a pan. Finally, one tip: if you want to make the taste of your dish more saturated, wrap it in a blanket and leave it for half an hour so that the cereal is infused. Cooked pilaf with beef can be supplemented with green onion feathers, tomatoes or all kinds of vegetable salads. Although, even as a separate dish, it will be incredibly tasty and piquant.
How to cook beef pilaf in a cauldron
If you strictly adhere to this simple recipe, then you will certainly get a really tasty dish, aged in the best oriental traditions.
To prepare a fragrant, colorful pilaf with a rich taste, you will need:
- 1 kg of meat;
- 0.5 kg round grain rice;
- 2 heads of garlic;
- 0.4 kg of onions;
- on a teaspoon of ground cumin and dry barberry;
- 400 g carrots;
- a tablespoon of salt;
- a teaspoon of turmeric.
As you can see, you do not need any exotic products to create an oriental culinary masterpiece. It remains only to learn how to cook beef pilaf in your own kitchen. Fortunately, this is not at all difficult and pretty fast.
Cooking process step by step
First of all, prepare all the necessary products for further processing. Wash the meat well and cut into medium-sized pieces. Keep in mind that chopping it too finely is definitely not worth it - the larger the slices, the juicier they are. But it’s not worth zeal too much - large pieces simply do not have time to prepare.
Peel and rinse the vegetables. Then chop the onion into rings and the carrot into medium strips.
Rice must be washed several times until crystal clear water. Peel the heads of garlic from excess husks and rinse. And leave the cloves intact.
After all the products have been prepared, light a fire and begin cooking. Pour the vegetable oil into the cauldron and warm it well. Pour the meat into the hot liquid and fry it until golden brown. Then season it with half the salt and fill it with a little water if it is too hard. If your meat is quite soft, then this is simply not necessary. Then add cumin and barberry to the beef, stir.
It was the turn of the onion - send it to the cauldron and fry until golden. Then add the carrots to the rest of the ingredients and cook until soft. Now pour the washed rice and flatten it. From the top, stick the garlic heads in the croup, add the remaining salt and turmeric. And then fill with water so that it completely covers the rice. After it boils, reduce the power a little and cover the cauldron with a lid.
If you cook at the stake, just remove the coals from under the boiler. Under the lid, the rice should reach readiness. This process usually takes 15 minutes. During cooking, rice should not be stirred. And to check if the water has evaporated, just collect it in the form of a slide.
With this simple recipe, you learned how to cook beef pilaf. Photos of this process, by the way, will greatly simplify your task. In addition, they will help you with the presentation and presentation of your dish. Knowing how to cook beef pilaf in different ways, you can often spoil your family with freshly prepared, aromatic cereals. So be sure to take on board another recipe for a colorful Uzbek dish.
How to cook pilaf with beef in a slow cooker
The ability to bring all the ingredients to the ready in one dish significantly increases the chances of making the dish truly juicy, mouth-watering and soft. This applies to almost any treat, but first of all - fragrant pilaf. By preparing this delicacy in a slow cooker, you will be able to easily achieve the desired result.
By the way, this method of making pilaf is considered to be the simplest and fastest. Indeed, in the process there is no need to constantly stir the dish and follow it - most of the work for you will be done by a smart device.
Structure
How to cook beef pilaf in a slow cooker? To get started, arm yourself with all the necessary products, namely:
- 0.5 kg of beef brisket or shoulder blade;
- a third of a glass of sunflower oil;
- 200 g cereals;
- head of garlic;
- 0.5 kg of onions;
- the same amount of carrots;
- 200 g of champignons or porcini mushrooms;
- salt and pepper to your taste;
- from spices: hops-suneli, barberry and zira.
Cooking method
First prepare the vegetables: peel them and wash them. Chop the onions in half rings, and carrots in large sticks. Prepare the selected mushrooms in the same way.
Rinse the meat, dry with paper towels and cut into medium slices.
Preheat the crock-pot, pour vegetable oil into it and put onion first. To give the dish more saturation, you can put another small piece of butter. After the onions turn golden, put the meat in the bowl and continue to fry the mixture. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the prepared mushrooms and carrots. Then cover the slow cooker and simmer the components. After 15 minutes, open the lid and fry for the same amount of time.
Now it remains to add spices and rice itself. Without mixing the cereal with the rest of the food, fill it with water so that it completely covers the rice. Now close the lid and cook until cooked. If your device has the corresponding "Pilaf" function, then select it.
10 minutes before the end of cooking, stick a head of garlic in the cereal. After you turn off the rice, be sure to let it brew for at least half an hour. Now you are well aware of the recipe for cooking pilaf from beef in a slow cooker.