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Pork pilaf in a saucepan on the stove crumbly

Crumbly Pork Pilaf on the Stovetop

Incredibly delicious, made from simple ingredients, and perfect for a family dinner! Pork pilaf cooked in a pot on the stovetop turns out fluffy, hearty, and full of flavor. And it's easier to make than it looks — even a first-time cook can pull it off. It's the best family main course for lunch or dinner.

Maria

Recipe author

Pork pilaf in a saucepan on the stove crumbly

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Composition / ingredients

Servings:

Pork (boneless)

500

Rice

250

Carrot

Onion

Garlic

Bay leaf

Vegetable oil

Dry spices (pilaf seasoning)

Ground black pepper

Salt

Translation table of volumetric measures

Nutrients and energy value of the composition of the recipe

By weight of the composition:

Proteins 21 % 10 g

Fats 32 % 15 g

Carbohydrates 47 % 22 g

265 kcal

GI: 9 / 91 / 0

Cooking method

Step 1:

How do you make fluffy pork pilaf in a pot on the stovetop? First, get your ingredients together. Pilaf usually calls for boneless pork — leg, neck, or shoulder. I'm using leg.
Step 2:

Rinse the pork, pat it dry, and cut it into medium pieces.
Step 3:

Rinse the rice thoroughly until the water runs clear. Parboiled long-grain rice made for pilaf works best — it doesn't turn mushy and holds its shape nicely.
Step 4:

Peel the carrot and cut it into thin matchsticks.
Step 5:

Peel the onion. It's usually added to pilaf finely diced, but I like to add it whole and fish it out at the very end.
Step 6:

Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. Add the pork and sear it over high heat until golden brown. If your pot is on the small side, brown the pork in batches so it releases less moisture. Searing over high heat seals the juices inside the pieces, keeping the pork juicy.
Step 7:

Add the spices to the meat and stir quickly. For pilaf, it's best to avoid enameled cookware — the meat and spices can scorch and stick to the bottom, and scrubbing it off can chip the enamel. Reach for a stainless steel or non-stick pot instead.
Step 8:

Add the carrot to the meat and cook, stirring, over medium heat for 2–3 minutes. If you're adding diced onion, put it in now along with the carrot.
Step 9:

Pour a cup of boiling water over the meat and add the whole onion (unless you already added it diced) along with the bay leaf.
Step 10:

Cover the pot and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes, until the meat is tender and most of the liquid has cooked off.
Step 11:

Spread the rinsed rice over the meat in an even layer. Keep the rice on top — don't stir it into the meat.
Step 12:

Pour hot water over the meat and rice until the rice is covered by about ½ inch (1 cm) of liquid. It took me roughly a cup and a half. Don't add too much — extra water takes longer to cook off, and the rice can overcook and lose its shape.
Step 13:

Cover the pot again and simmer over low heat until the liquid evaporates, about 25–30 minutes. Don't stir the rice during this time.
Step 14:

Stir the cooked rice together with the meat. Tuck the garlic cloves on top.
Step 15:

Cover the pot once more and let the pilaf rest for another 15 minutes. Enjoy!

Pilaf is traditionally cooked in a large cauldron over an open fire. But in a modern kitchen, you can make it just as well in an ordinary pot on the stovetop.
Since everyone's taste for salty, sweet, bitter, spicy, sour, and hot is different, always add spices and seasonings to your own liking. And if you're using a seasoning for the first time, remember that some — chili pepper, for example — are especially easy to overdo.
If you use a store-bought spice blend, check the label — these mixes often already contain salt, so keep that in mind or you may over-salt the dish.