Arroz de Haussá

2 cups uncooked rice (preferably long-grain rice)
3 tablespoons shortening
2–2¼ cups boiling water
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound jerk beef
1 onion, thinly sliced

Wash and pick over rice very well. Melt shortening in a medium-size skillet. Use oil, lard, margarine, or bacon fat, but not butter. Fry rice, gently stirring with a wooden spoon until it makes a swishing sound. This takes about 10 minutes over a low flame and is an important factor in producing the dry final product.

Mix 2 cups of boiling water with the salt. Remove the rice from heat and pour the salt water mixture over the fried rice. Care must be taken at this point because the mixture will spatter. Stir once or twice, no more, return to heat, and bring to a boil. When it boils, cover and reduce heat to very low. Cook 20–25 minutes, until all the water has evaporated. Taste 1 or 2 grains of the rice to see if they are cooked; if not, add the other ¼ cup boiling water. Do not stir. When rice is done remove from heat, uncover, and allow some of the stem to evaporate. Place in a serving dish or press into a warm mold and unmold on a platter. When the rice is properly made, each grain falls separately from the spoon.

Scald 1 pound jerk beef, cut into small pieces, and let stand overnight in cold water. Next day, fry the meat in a small amount of butter with a thinly sliced onion until beef is well browned. Spoon rice into center of a large serving plate and surround with the beef. Serve with Acarajé Sauce.