Locrio de Chuleta
This savory pork and rice dish cooks tender seasoned pork with sofrito, olives, and spices before steaming together with fluffy rice for a bold, comforting one-pot meal.
This locrio de chuleta is one of those one-pot meals that brings big flavor with very little fuss. The rice soaks up all that smoky, seasoned pork and comes out rich, savory, and so satisfying.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
3 bone-in, thin-sliced pork chops
3 smoked pork chops
1 bell pepper, diced
½ red onion, diced
6 cloves garlic, chopped
6 olives
3 tbsp sofrito
2 tbsp adobo
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp Maggi jugo (or 2 tbsp soy sauce)
½ tbsp black pepper
2 tbsp oil
2½ cups extra long grain rice
2½ cups water
Fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the pork
Cut both the bone-in and smoked pork chops into small pieces, including the bone pieces.
Season
In a bowl, combine the pork with bell pepper, red onion, garlic, olives, sofrito, adobo, paprika, Maggi jugo (or soy sauce), and black pepper. Toss well to combine.
Cook the pork
Heat oil in a pot over medium-high heat. Add the seasoned pork mixture directly into the hot pot. Cook for 25 minutes
Taste & add rice
After 25 minutes, taste the broth to check for salt and flavor. Add the rice and 2½ cups of water. Stir to combine.
Initial cook
Cover and cook on high for 8–10 minutes, until the rice absorbs the liquid.
Steam the rice
Lower the heat to low. Form a small rice “mountain” in the center to prevent sticking. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
Finish
Garnish with fresh cilantro. Serve with avocado slices and a green salad.
Notes from My Kitchen
Including the bone adds extra flavor to the rice.
Maggi jugo gives depth — soy sauce works if that’s what you have.
Forming the rice mound helps prevent sticking and ensures even steaming.
Locrio de Chuleta
Ingredients
Instructions
Chuleta Guisada
Juicy pork chops simmered in a savory Dominican-style gravy that was made for rice. Letting the meat sweat first builds that deep flavor before everything comes together. Simple, comforting, and always a hit.
Juicy pork chops simmered and stewed in a savory Dominican-style gravy that was made for rice. Letting the meat sweat first builds that deep flavor before everything comes together. Simple, comforting, and always a hit.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
2 lbs bone-in pork chops, cut into pieces
3 tbsp sofrito
1 tbsp garlic paste (or garlic powder if preferred)
1 tbsp oregano
2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp all-purpose seasoning
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 small red onion, sliced
2 tbsp achiote oil (or vegetable oil)
4 cups water
½ red bell pepper, sliced
½ green bell pepper, sliced
1 tbsp olives
2 tbsp tomato paste
½ chicken bouillon cube
Fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the pork chops
Cut pork chops into serving-size pieces. (Don’t discard the bone pieces — they carry flavor.)Season
In a bowl, combine pork with sofrito, garlic paste, oregano, black pepper, all-purpose seasoning, soy sauce, and sliced onion. Mix thoroughly.
Start cooking
In a caldero or heavy pot over medium-high heat, heat achiote oil. Add seasoned pork chops and let them sweat for 10 minutes.
Add liquid
Pour 4 cups of water into the seasoning bowl and add it to the pot. Cover the pork completely.
Add vegetables & flavor
Add bell peppers, olives, tomato paste, chicken bouillon, and fresh cilantro.
Cover and cook for 30 minutes.Finish
Taste the broth for salt. Lower heat to low and cook covered for 10 more minutes.
Serve
Serve hot with white rice.
Notes from My Kitchen
Letting the pork “sweat” first builds flavor.
Always taste before adjusting salt — bouillon and soy sauce carry sodium.
This gravy over rice? ELITE
Chuleta Guisada
Ingredients
Instructions
Costillas Guisadas
These pork spare ribs are slow-simmered in a rich, savory Dominican sauce until fall-apart tender. That touch of browned sugar gives it the deep color and flavor we all know and love. Spoon it over white rice and let the sauce do its thing.
These pork spare ribs are slow-simmered until fall-apart tender in a rich, savory Dominican sauce. That touch of browned sugar gives it the deep color and flavor we all know and love. Spoon it over white rice and let the sauce do its thing.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
2 lbs pork spare ribs
2 tbsp sofrito
1 tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp olives
1 tbsp adobo
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1–2 tbsp oil
1 tsp sugar
2½ cups water (divided)
1 heaping tbsp tomato paste
½ red onion, sliced
½ bell pepper, sliced
Fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
Season & marinate
In a bowl, combine pork ribs with sofrito, garlic paste, olives, adobo, and Worcestershire sauce. Toss well and marinate for 1 hour.
Start the browning process
In a pot over medium-high heat, add oil and sugar. Allow the sugar to brown.
Brown the ribs
Add the ribs to the pot and let them brown for 1–2 minutes. Flip and brown the other side.
First simmer
Add 2 cups of water to the leftover seasoning bowl, swirl to capture the flavor, and pour over the ribs. Lower the heat to medium, cover, and cook for 20 minutes.
Add tomato paste & vegetables
Stir the ribs. Add tomato paste and combine. Add red onion and bell pepper.
Raise the heat to high and cover for 20 minutes.Final simmer
Stir again. Add ½ cup of water and fresh cilantro on top. Cover on high for another 10 minutes.
Finish
Stir once more. The ribs should be tender and saucy. Sprinkle additional fresh cilantro before serving.
Notes from My Kitchen
Browning sugar adds depth and color.
Swirling water in the seasoning bowl keeps all the flavor.
These should be tender and coated in sauce — not dry.
Costillas Guisadas
Ingredients
Instructions
Carne de Cerdo Guisada con Tayota
This stewed pork and yams is one of those big pot meals that brings everybody to the kitchen before you even call them. The pork cooks down tender in that rich, seasoned sauce, and the tayota soaks up every bit of flavor.
This carne de cerdo guisada is one of those big pot meals that brings everybody to the kitchen before you even call them. The pork cooks down tender in that rich, seasoned sauce, and the tayota soaks up every bit of flavor.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
5 lbs cubed pork shoulder (or picnic)
3 tbsp garlic paste
3 tbsp sofrito
2 tbsp ranchero seasoning
2 tbsp adobo
1 tbsp black pepper
1 tbsp soy sauce
Olives + a splash of olive juice
1 small red onion, sliced
2 bell peppers, sliced
⅓ cup oil (achiote oil or oil of choice)
4 cups water
3 tayotas (chayote), peeled and cubed (or potatoes)
2 tbsp tomato paste
Fresh cilantro
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep & season the pork
Clean the pork with vinegar and limes.
In a large bowl, season with garlic paste, sofrito, ranchero, adobo, black pepper, soy sauce, olives (plus a little olive juice), sliced onion, and bell peppers.
Toss well to combine. Cover and marinate for 1 hour.Start the stew
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat.
Add the marinated pork and allow it to sweat for 10 minutes.Add liquid & cook
Add 4 cups of water to the seasoning bowl, swirl to capture all the flavor, and pour it into the pot. Cover and cook for 45 minutes.
Prep the tayota
While the pork cooks, wash, peel, and cube the tayota. (Tayota, also known as chayote, has a waxy residue when handled. Use gloves if needed. Potatoes can be substituted.)
Build flavor
After 45 minutes, check for salt. Add tomato paste, stir well, and cover for 10 minutes.
Add tayota & finish
Add the cubed tayota and fresh cilantro. Cover and cook for the final 20 minutes. Do not overcook — tayota can become mushy.
Serve
Serve warm, traditionally with moro de guandules and a green salad.
Notes from My Kitchen
Letting the pork sweat first builds deep flavor before adding water.
Tayota should stay tender but slightly firm.
Ranchero seasoning gives pork dishes an extra layer of depth
Swap out tayota for potatoes!
Carne de Cerdo Guisada con Tayota
Ingredients
Instructions
Asopao de Longaniza
This asopao de longaniza is rich, smoky, and packed with flavor in every spoonful. The rice thickens the broth just right, and those bites of longaniza throughout? That’s the best part. Every time I make this, I regret not making more because it disappears fast.
This asopao de longaniza is rich, smoky, and packed with flavor in every spoonful. The rice thickens the broth just right, and those bites of longaniza throughout? That’s the best part. Every time I make this, I regret not making more because it disappears fast.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
2 packs Dominican longaniza, sliced (varied sizes)
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp garlic paste
2 tbsp sofrito
2 chicken bouillon cubes, crumbled
1 tbsp olives
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 orange bell pepper, chopped
1 celery rib (left in large pieces)
1 red onion (cut in large chunks)
2 sazón packets (use 1 if using Goya)
1 1/2 cups long grain rice, washed
4–5 pieces auyama (calabaza / squash)
7 cups water
Fresh cilantro
Fresh recao / culantro
Juice of 1 lime or naranja agria
Step-by-Step Instructions
Slice the longaniza into pieces, mixing sizes between small and larger chunks for texture.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the longaniza and brown on all sides for about 5 minutes.
Add garlic paste, sofrito, crumbled bouillon cubes, and olives. Stir and cook for 1–2 minutes to build flavor.
Add bell peppers, celery, and red onion. Keep the celery and onion in larger pieces so they’re easy to remove later. Stir everything together.
Add sazón packets and mix well until everything is evenly coated and vibrant in color.
Add the washed rice and auyama. Stir until the rice is fully coated and takes on the color of the mixture.
Pour in the water and add cilantro and recao (tie them together if you want to easily remove later).
Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Cook on medium-high heat for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes, stir the pot, lower the heat to low, cover again, and cook for another 25 minutes until the rice is tender and the broth has thickened.
Remove the large pieces of celery and onion.
Finish with a squeeze of lime or naranja agria, stir, taste, and adjust seasoning if needed.
Notes from My Kitchen
That rice expands a lot, don’t add more or it’ll get too thick.
Cutting the longaniza in different sizes gives you the best bites.
The consistency should be between a soup and a stew.
Serve with white rice and avocado on the side 😌
Asopao de Longaniza
Ingredients
Instructions
Locrio de Salami
This locrio de salami is one of those Dominican one-pot meals that just hits every time. The salami flavors the rice as it cooks, giving it that signature color and taste. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and always satisfying.
This locrio de salami is one of those Dominican one-pot meals that just hits every time. The salami flavors the rice as it cooks, giving it that signature color and taste. Simple ingredients, big flavor, and always satisfying.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
2 cups quartered salami
(Popular Dominican salami brands: Estellar, Higüeral, Induveca)2–3 tbsp achiote oil
¼ red onion, diced
¼ red bell pepper, diced
2 tbsp sofrito
1 tbsp garlic paste
2 chicken bouillon cubes
3 cups washed long-grain rice
4 cups water
Fresh cilantro
Sliced scallions (for garnish)
If not using achiote oil:
Use preferred oil to brown the salami. After adding sofrito and garlic paste, add 1–2 orange sazón packets for color.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prep the salami
Slice salami into rounds, then quarter each slice.
Brown the salami
In a hot pot over medium-high heat, add achiote oil. Add salami and cook until browned.
Build the base
Add diced red onion and bell pepper. Stir.
Add sofrito and garlic paste. Combine well.
Crumble in chicken bouillon cubes and mix.Add rice
Stir in washed rice.
Mix thoroughly so the rice absorbs the achiote color.Add liquid
Pour in 4 cups of water. Stir.
Cover and cook for 8–10 minutes, or until liquid is absorbed.Steam the rice
Stir again and form your “rice mountain” to prevent sticking.
Add fresh cilantro on top.
Cover (foil optional).
Lower the heat to low and cook for 25 minutes.Finish
Remove cilantro.
Fluff and break up the rice.
Garnish with sliced scallions.
Notes from My Kitchen
Browning the salami builds flavor and color.
The rice mountain trick is key for perfect Dominican rice.
Pairs perfectly with avocado and a simple salad.
Locrio de Salami
Ingredients
Instructions
Dominican Pernil
This is the centerpiece. A deeply seasoned Dominican pernil that cooks low and slow until tender, then finishes with that crispy skin on top. This is tradition, flavor, and a full moment on the table.
This is the centerpiece. A deeply seasoned Dominican pernil that cooks low and slow until tender, then finishes with that crispy skin on top. This is tradition, flavor, and a full moment on the table.
Table of Contents
Ingredients
1 bone-in pork shoulder (approx. 11 lbs)
1 cup sofrito
6 cloves garlic, grated or minced
6 whole garlic cloves
Juice of 6 limes
4 tbsp salt
3 tbsp oregano
⅓ cup soy sauce
Oven roasting bag
Scale seasoning up or down depending on pernil weight..
Step-by-Step Instructions
1. Clean & Prep the Pernil
Rinse pork shoulder under water until it runs clear.
Rub with salt and let sit in acid (lime juice or vinegar) for 10 minutes.
Rinse again and pat dry.
Carefully cut back the pork skin flap (do not remove).
Using a knife, poke deep X-shaped holes throughout the meat.
(If you don’t wash your pernil that’s between you and your ancestors.)
2. Make the Marinade
In a bowl, combine:
Sofrito
Salt
Oregano
Grated garlic
Soy sauce
Lime juice
Mix well.
3. Season and Marinate
Place pernil inside an oven roasting bag.
Pour marinade over pork, making sure to:
Push seasoning deep into holes
Insert whole garlic cloves into holes
Wipe skin flap clean and rub with soy sauce only.
Tie the bag tightly at the top.
Refrigerate at least overnight, 3 days is best.
Roasting Instructions
1.High Heat
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Poke 3 small ventilation holes near the top knot of the bag.
Place on an oven safe roasting pan, knot-side-up.
Roast at 400°F for 1 hour.
2. Low & Slow
Reduce oven to 300°F
Roast for 2½ additional hours.
3. Crispy Skin Finish
Remove pernil from roasting bag.
Broil on high for 5 minutes
Watch closely, do not walk away.
4. Serve
Shred pork.
Toss in pan juices.
Chop crispy skin and mix into meat.
Finish with fresh lime.
Notes from My Kitchen
The oven bag locks in moisture and flavor.
Three-day marinade = elite-level pernil.
Crispy skin is non-negotiable.
This is “new designated pernil lady” behavior.
