Dirty Rice

Ingredients

• 1.5 cups long grain white rice (jasmine recommended)
• 1 lbs ground beef
• bell pepper (optional)
• onion / shallot (optional)
• garlic (optional)
• 3 cups water *OR* 2.5 cups water + 0.5 cups vegetable broth
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter or ghee
• if no onion: 1 tsp onion powder
• if no garlic: 1 tbsp garlic powder
• 1/8 - 1/4 tsp white pepper (optional, adds spice)
• fresh ground pepper (optional, adds spice)

Directions

1. use 'one pot meal' pan
2. using medium heat...
3. brown beef with onion & pepper
4. drain and set aside once cooked and moisture is mostly gone (you want this drier than normal to avoid making rice mushy)
5. melt butter
6. toast spices and garlic
7. add rice
8. toast & stir until butter absorbed by rice
9. deglaze pan with water and broth
10. add beef, pepper, onion
11. stir to combine
12. bring to boil over medium-high heat
13. cover
14. reduce heat to low
15. simmer 15 - 20 mins until water is absorbed
16. turn off heat
17. let sit 5 minutes -- do *NOT* stir, remove lid, etc. Just *leave it be*
18. stir to mix/combine everything
19. serve