5/08/13

Greasy Rice

A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.


One of the most common questions I get asked when anyone's spent some time on the blog is some variation of, “What the BLEEP is Greasy Rice??”

Most Southerners know what it is and usually get excited any time I mention it.  Everyone else just scratches their head.

Greasy rice is just plain white rice that is cooked in the stock and drippings rendered from slow cooking meat (usually pork or chicken).  I most often make it if after I've slow-cooked a whole chicken, chicken pieces, ribs, pork roast, ham, Boston butt, etc..

Greasy Rice | A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.

The key is that you've cooked the meat in a way that produces rich stock and rendered fat.  And there ain't nothing healthy about it... so... yeah... sorry about that.

Now, one thing to remember is that if you use a rub, sauce or glaze that has a lot of sugar (or honey or molasses or syrup or anything sweet), you won’t want to use the stock for rice because, well, it will be sweet.

Greasy Rice | A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.

When I bake a ham, I always cook it low and slow for a few hours, gather up all the pan juices and then glaze it so my stock and drippings aren't tainted with sweetness (same with oven barbequed ribs or chicken – I don’t put barbeque sauce on the meat until after I've collected the stock and drippings).

I don’t use purchased dry rubs because they always have a lot of sugar in them (unless I’m grilling or smoking because I won’t be able to collect any broth from those anyway).  I hope that makes sense.

Greasy Rice | A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.

NOTES ABOUT COOKING GREASY RICE
  • How much liquid I have generally determines how much rice I cook. This recipe will easily double or triple.
  • How salty your pan juices are will determine how much (if any) salt you need. 
  • Greasy rice is typically made from slow-cooked (baked or crock pot) pork or chicken but can me made from the pan juices of any meat that renders fat when slow-cooked.
  • If I've cooked meat that is especially fatty (a Boston butt, a pan of chicken thighs, etc.), I will often ladle off some of the fat.  I've never measured how much fat I actually include but if I had to guess, I’d say I like to have about 1/3 rendered fat per 2 cups of liquid.

Greasy Rice | A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.


Greasy Rice


Greasy Rice
Yield: 4 Servings
Author:
prep time: 5 Mcook time: 20 Mtotal time: 25 M
A classic Southern rice recipe made from chicken or pork stock and pan drippings.

ingredients:

  • 2 cups pan juices from any slow-cooked meat
  • 1 cup uncooked, long-grain white rice
  • Salt to taste

instructions:

How to cook Greasy Rice

  1. Using a measuring pitcher, measure 2 cups of broth. The fat will settle on the top of the broth – do not consider the fat when measuring the broth. You need 2 full cups of liquid plus the fat. If the meat you've cooked doesn't render a full two cups of liquid, add broth or water until you have two full cups.
  2. Add the broth (with fat) to a medium saucepan, cover, then bring to a boil. Once boiling, add uncooked rice. Reduce heat to very low heat (but not all the way down to the lowest setting), cover tightly then cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender, stirring with a fork a few times the first 15 minutes of cook time. Do not disturb rice the last 5 minutes of cooking.
  3. Remove from heat and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes. Enjoy!

NOTES:

How much liquid I have generally determines how much rice I cook. This recipe will easily double or triple.
How salty your pan juices are will determine how much (if any) salt you need.
Greasy rice is typically made from slow-cooked (baked or crock pot) pork or chicken but can me made from the pan juices of any meat that renders fat when slow-cooked.
If I've cooked meat that is especially fatty (a Boston butt, a pan of chicken thighs, etc.), I will often ladle off some of the fat. I've never measured how much fat I actually include but if I had to guess, I’d say I like to have about 1/3 rendered fat per 2 cups of liquid.
greasy rice, greazy, ham rice, southern, old fashioned, best, easy, how to make, broth, pan drippings, boston butt

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40 comments:

  1. I have been enjoying "Greasy Rice" for many years, but I have yet to be able to prepare it without it the rice coming out CRUNCHY or MUSHY. Any suggestions?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cooking rice is kinda like making gravy - it can be tricky to get the hang of it.

      I think the most common pitfall to cooking rice is that we mess with it too much. Once I've stirred it a couple times in the first ten minutes, I don't even open the lid again until I'm ready to serve it.

      Another thing it to be precise with your measurements. Liquid and dry measuring cups are not the same. It doesn't matter which you use, just be sure you use the same when measuring both the rice and the broth since long-grain white rice cooks at the exact ratio of 2:1.

      If that doesn't help, you can always cook it in the microwave! Add rice and broth to a 1-quart baking dish. Salt to taste if necessary. Cover dish with a fitted lid and microwave on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 50% then microwave for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork before serving.

      http://www.southyourmouth.com/2013/01/no-fail-microwavable-rice-3-ways.html

      Hope that helps!!

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    2. Yes. Leave it alone. Get the water boiling on high, stir in the rice, turn it down to medium, cover (leaving a small crack for the steam to escape and leave it alone for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and eat!

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    3. If your rice is crunchy you needed more water/liquid, if it's mushy you used to much.

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  2. I have always had this made from all kinds of broth or stock but had never heard it called greasy rice before --though it was greasy but good! It was just tradition for us to use whatever was left with rice in it whenever we cooked any kind of meat. Always good and tasty. I live in central Alabama and this is an ordinary use of rice and drippings/stock/broth for us! Thanks for sharing it so everyone can enjoy.

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  3. Loooove greasy rice! It's so delicious when using the broth rendered from a boston butt in the oven or crockpot. There are rarely leftovers!

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  4. For perfect rice, stir with fork only once when you add the liquid. Cover tightly and do not uncover or stir until after the 20 minutes, then fluff with a fork, cover and let sit ten more minutes.

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  5. My mama use to make this for us when we were kids! I love it! She didnt like to make it, though, she said it wasnt very healthy! She made it anyway because my daddy loved it! Thanks for sharing and bringing back good ole memories!!

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  6. This is one of my favorite dishes I have learned from you and make it regularly!

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  7. Southern Joy7/2/13, 2:09 AM

    In SE Georgia we call it "Wet Rice", sounds a little more healthy! My Mama used to cook this after she boiled her ribs, but she boiled onions and celery also - so good!( My kids don't care for that so we omit them). My Mama always cooked the same meal when she cooked ribs. Homemade BBQ sauce with Karo etc for the ribs, baked until falling off the bones with bits of black "char" on some of the ribs. Wet rice, coleslaw, pole beans and cornbread. Yummy, Yummy!
    --The only problem with your recipe is one cup is not quite enough! Although if you add too much rice it's not as flavorful. Mt daughters are away at college and when they get home I always have to include some sort of frozen broth to send home in their care package. My daughter was the only kid in her dorm of 2000 to have meat (bacon) grease to season her veggies with. We hid it in a small yogurt container. My girls know how to COOK! Thanks for listening, missing my Mama and girls I guess.

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  8. My mother always made this when she baked a ham. I've always called it ham rice. The.Best.Taste.EVER.

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    Replies
    1. I called it Ham perlo

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    2. I'm gonna take a guess and say you're from SC! :)

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  9. I love your place here, and it is just down right comfy. Just a Missouri girl my self I love the Southern cooking , and simply adore the attitude. So when looking for a recipe for country pork ribs I stumbled across yours....and they are in the oven as I jot this little note. But I have to say, I followed the link for your suggested "Greasy Rice" and wow I can not wait for these ribs to be done.....so excited.

    Your adorable and I am so happy I have found your site, also following you on my Fav Pintrest....
    Keep Cooking Sweets's

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  10. This sounds so good! Do you know if it can be done with instant rice? It's all I have right now and this would be good with the ribs I'm cooking.

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    Replies
    1. Yes, I think so. You'll have to adjust the amounts per the manufacturer's instructions.

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  11. I LOVE this recipe. I had made rice like this before, but always cooked it on the stovetop, and it was always mushy. By baking it and not touching the cover for an entire hour rendered the most perfect rice I have ever made, or eaten. I sauteed a large sweet onion and garlic to which I added the rice. I let that brown just a little bit then add the pan drippings and broth. Wrap it tight with aluminum foil and let it bake for an hour +/-. SO good! I look forward to your daily updates, Mandy. This is a great site, and always great recipes.

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  12. I never knew this had a name. We never cooked the rice directly in the pan juices but would always scoop it out of the pan put on top of regularly cooked rice. Never even though to make it this way. Thank you going to try this!!!

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  13. I learned how to cook this rice from watching my Southern Granny and she taught my mother who was Japanese!!

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  14. I am a Sand lapping Carolina boy! Give me Greasy Rice and hog pork ..

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    Replies
    1. us Sandlappers know all about good groceries! ❤

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  15. When we made this from the stock of a cooking hen, we call it yellow rice, because of the color from all the fat on the hen (plus maybe a drop or two of yellow food coloring)

    My favorite has always been ham rice made with the drippings from the holiday ham. That's good eatin'

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  16. I'm making this as I as type my comment. I had NEVER, EVER heard of Greasy Rice, let alone made it. I'm using the broth from country-style ribs my daughter cooked in the crockpot for at least 4 hours.

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  17. Had greasy rice and the country pork ribs...YUMMOOO!!!! I added the onions from cooking the ribs in the rice after it was done and it was delish!! Thanks, Mandy, for always being there when I go looking for a recipe! :)

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  18. Would substituting long grain brown rice be okay? I had this in mind when searching Google for rice recipes with pork and came across your website which is awesome btw. I have several cups of stock from a Boston Butt I made recently and had thought of making the brown rice using your recipe for "Greasy Rice" and adding shredded pork, green peas, diced carrots & onion to make more of a 1-dish meal. Whatcha think?

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  19. The proportions of broth to rice listed here will result in hard, undercooked rice. Proportions should be around 3.5 parts liquid to 2 parts rice.

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    Replies
    1. I'm a bit confused by this recommendation as this recipe calls for more water to rice than you suggest here. Hard undercooked rice is normally a result of not adding enough liquid to rice, not too much liquid. If doubled, this recipe would be 4 parts liquid to 2 parts rice. Is it possible you read the ratio backwards maybe?

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    2. 1 extra cup of water. So 3 cup rice 4 cup liquid

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    3. Always use 2 parts liquid to 1 part rice.

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  20. Sounds fabulous! I make greasy noodles like this! I will have to try the rice!

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  21. That's how my Mother made it except she added lots of black pepper!

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  22. Do you think this would work if you put the fat, drippings and broth in a rice cooker? I've never had good luck with cooking rice on the stove... I always burn it or its crunchy... my southern daddy would be so disappointed! :)

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    Replies
    1. I imagine so but I've never used one so I'm not sure what "the rules" are. If you can use butter in them then I'd think so!

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    2. I make it in my Instant Pot on the rice setting all of the time. Your rice cooker should work similarly.

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  23. Would substituting cauliflower rice be possible?

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  24. Love this rice recipe and it came out perfect!!

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  25. I made this and the pork butt a while ago, delish. I made the butt again tonight but instead of the rice I had some baby potatoes. I took out all the grease I could and used the broth to boil the potatoes and when they were done I thickened the broth and made a gravy. I could have drank the gravy it had such great flavor. Thanks for the recipe Mandy.

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    Replies
    1. LOL well, my daddy did always say good gravy could be considered a beverage!

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  26. This is the first time I have ever made Greasy Rice and so delicious. I skim off the fat after refrigerated the liquid and use it to fry the onions and garlic then rice and transfer into a hot rice cooker. Reheating the broth adds right into the rice makes a great side dish with the pork. Yummy!

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  27. So I made this tonight. I used the gelled drippings from 2 boston butts I cooked yesterday. I boiled 4 cups plus 1/3 cup water with lots of chunks of the pork roast in it. Then I added 2 cuos of white rice. I turned it down to 2-3 and let it simmer 20 minutes only stirring twice (but not in the last 5 minutes). It came out oh so delicious!!! We loved it! Thank you so much for posting the greasy rice recipe! I'll use it every time I have roast drippings now!!!

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Hi there! While I’m not able to respond to every comment, I try hard to answer any questions that haven’t been addressed in the post, recipe or in other comments.

I can tell you now 1) I have no idea if you can substitute Minute Rice or brown rice in my recipes because I’ve never used them and 2) If I know how to convert a recipe to a Crock Pot version, I will make a note about it (otherwise, I don’t know).

And though I may not respond to them all, I do read each and every comment and I LOVE to hear from you guys! Thanks, y’all! - Mandy