Rice with Pigeon Peas (Arroz con Gandules)

I was never taught how to make Arroz con Gandules. I grew up in one of those homes where my mother cooked every holiday and NO ONE was allowed in the kitchen, so when the time came and I was on my own I wanted to learn how to make traditional Spanish rice. I found this recipe on Daisy Martinez's website, she hosted a show called Daisy Cooks (Oh! Where did you go Daisy?!) and she makes the most traditional Spanish (Puerto Rican, Dominican) food, I have ever come across. Below is her recipe for Arroz con Gandules.

Arroz con Gandules

* ½ cup Achiote Oil
* 1 cup Sofrito
* 3 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsely chopped pimiento-stuffed olives
* 3 tablespoons fine sea or kosher salt
* 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
* 2 teaspoons ground cumin
* 1½ pounds smoked pork neck bones or smoked turkey wings or one smoked ham hock
* One 13-ounce bag frozen pigeon peas or one 15-ounce can pigeon peas, drained
* 6 cups long grain rice
* Beef Broth, homemade or store-bought and/or water as needed (about 8 cups)
* 1 banana leaf, optional

1. Heat the achiote oil in a heavy 5-quart pot or Dutch oven over high heat
until rippling.

2. Stir in the sofrito, alcaparrada or olives, salt, pepper and cumin. Cook
until the sofrito stops boiling and starts to sizzle, about 5 minutes

3. Add the pork bones and stir until they’re coated with oil, then stir in the
rice until everything is mixed together and the rice is coated with oil.

4. Stir in the pigeon peas, then pour in enough broth and/or water to cover
rice by the width of two fingers. Top with the banana leaf, folding it up as
necessary to fit over the rice. Bring to a boil and boil without stirring
until the level of liquid meets the rice.

5. Take the banana leaf off, give the rice a big, healthy stir and put the
leaf back on top. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot, and cook until
the water is absorbed and the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.

6. Remove the banana leaf, give the rice a big stir and fluff it with a
fork. Serve hot.

**It's really important that you do not disturb the rice when cooking. After you have given the rice a big stir (step 5) WALK AWAY!!! Set a timer for 20 minutes and you will have perfect rice.