Pork Belly Secreto Paella

Getting the right rice to liquid ratio is one of the most important factors in creating the perfect paella. As a rule of thumb, you want to use 2 parts liquid for every 1 part rice, but it all depends on your rice, heat, and the other ingredients you have mingling in there. We’ve given you a solid 2:1 measurement here, but it's always good to have a little extra broth on hand if you see things looking a little too dry. 

Serves: 4 

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients:

• 1 Campo Grande Pork Belly Secreto, cut into bite sized pieces 
• 3 small ripe tomatoes 
• 1L (4 ¼ cups) chicken or beef broth 
• 5 cloves garlic, divided 
• ½ red bell pepper, diced  
• 1 Tablespoon paprika
• 4 fresh artichokes*
• 1 handful fresh parsley
• 200g (7 oz.) mushrooms, chopped 
• 500g (18 oz.) short grain rice 
• Extra-virgin olive oil 
• Salt

*Note: Fresh artichokes are ideal in this Pork Belly Secreto paella, but the oil-packed jar versions are also a delicious substitute. 

Preparation:

1. Take your ripe tomatoes and grate them on a box grater. Once each tomato is grated, you will likely be left with just the skin in your hands, which you can discard. Set tomatoes aside. 
2. Heat the broth in a large pot and bring to a boil. 
3. While your broth is heating, make the sofrito. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and heat a drizzle of olive oil and in a paella pan. Add garlic, sautéing until golden brown. Add the grated tomato and red peppers and let cook on low heat to avoid burning. Add in the paprika and cook for a few minutes. 
4. Clean, peel, and cut the artichokes in 4ths and add to the pan immediately so they don’t oxidize and turn brown. Add in the mushrooms and cook until the artichokes and mushrooms are nice and soft. 
5. While the sofrito finishes cooking, place the parsley and remaining garlic in a mortar and pestle along with a pinch of salt and mash until you have a homogenous paste. 
6. Add Pork Belly Secreto to the sofrito and cook briefly so the flavors can meld and mingle. 
7. Add in the rice and the parsley paste, mix, and let cook for 1-2 minutes. 
8. Add the hot broth and cook the rice on high heat for 10 minutes. As the rice cooks, you can add additional hot broth if needed. After 10 minutes, turn the heat down to low and cook for another 5-7 minutes. If you see the rice is drying out too quickly, add a bit more broth. 
9. Once the rice is cooked and (you want a slight bite in the center of the grain), turn off the heat and cover the pan with a large kitchen towel and let rest for 5-10 minutes. 
10. Remove the towel and serve. ¡Buen provecho!