For this recipe, I’m using pork belly with skin. It’s up to you—you can use pork belly without skin, pork shoulder, leg, or any cut you like. Cut the pork and season it with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. This is like a dry brine. I do this because I’m using pork belly with skin. If you use another cut, you can skip this step and cook it the same day.

Cook the pork until it’s golden and crispy, like chicharrón. This step takes some time, so be patient. Once the pork is ready, remove it from the pot and set aside. In the same pot, use the remaining fat (remove some if there’s too much, but keep enough for flavor). Add the onion and cook over medium heat, stirring until it softens. Add the garlic and keep stirring so nothing sticks, using a wooden spoon if you have one.

Now add the reserved pork back to the pot and mix thoroughly so all the flavors combine. At this point, the aroma is amazing! Add the hot water and let it cook for at least 30 minutes, until the pork is very tender. Cover the pot while it cooks.

After 30 minutes, uncover and check the pork—it should be tender. Remove the pork and set aside in a bowl. Add the green peas, corn kernels, and diced carrot to the pot. Stir well and taste for seasoning; add more salt if needed. Add the rice and mix thoroughly, then top with the bell pepper strips. Cover and cook the rice for about 20 minutes.

Keep an eye on the rice. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat to low so the rice cooks up fluffy. About 10 minutes before it’s done, check the rice again. Use a fork to gently fluff from the bottom up. If it still needs to dry out, cover the rice with a plastic bag or wrap, then cover the pot again.

When the rice is done, remove the plastic and turn off the heat. Place the tender pork pieces on top of the rice. Let it rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

While the rice rests, you can make a quick onion and tomato salsa: just mix onion and tomato with salt, lime juice, black pepper, white vinegar, and olive oil. Now serve up generous portions! Everyone will love it—there won’t be a grain of rice left. That’s the best reward after all that time in the kitchen! It’s homemade and budget-friendly.

All done! It’s a bit of work, but the smell and taste are worth the wait. I usually don’t make this much rice, but I feel confident using the plastic bag technique—it works great. Of course, you could use a rice cooker, but I prefer making it this way. The reward is seeing the rice come out fluffy and beautiful.

Hope you enjoy this version! There are many ways to make this dish, and this is just one of them. Years ago, I started making this recipe while living abroad, and it was very different. Now that I’m back home, I feel lucky to have access to all these ingredients. There are so many techniques to try, and I’m very happy with this one. It’s simple, not complicated, with easy and affordable ingredients. Thanks for reading the recipe!