A girl who loves salchichas

In one of those deja-vu- blog feelings that I always seem to get, I thought I would have professed my love for salchichas carmelas before.  But as I searched and searched amongst the hundreds of blog entries that I have written, I realize that I just thought I had written about them but seemed never to have gotten around to it.  Or maybe my SIL blogged about them?  After all, my nephew loves them just as much, if not more, as I do.

Salchichas Carmelas bite size morsel pouch

You see, of all the things from Puerto Rico I might actually miss if my mother didn’t send me a few cans or pouches in ever care package, are salchichas carmelas.  They are a type of vienna sausages that are so much tastier and better than any such type of canned meat sausage products that I’ve ever tried.  The difference, to me, is that carmela sausages have this tastier outer skin with a plump and juicy interior.  Most vienna sausages are more like…. boiled spam in their consistency.  And while I love spam, I’m not a fan of it uncooked.

The beautiful thing of it is… and though I tried to google up an image of it, is that now carmela’s come in pouches.  Before you could only buy them in little cans where you had 7 little sausages to enjoy.  Now, aside from the bites that I pictured above, you can get a big family size pouch.  While the sausages are not the same size the pouch is the perfect size for you to make rice with them.  So, if you ever get a hold of the larger pouch then allow me to share my recipe for making a pot of rice with them

Arroz con salchicas 

serves approx. 4

• 1 family size pouch of salchichas carmelas (or about 5 cans chopped but with the juice/caldo)
• 1/2 5oz can of tomato sauce
• 2 tablespoons sofrito
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• salt to taste (be mindful that the caldo from the salchichas can be rather salty, so taste first before adding salt)
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 cups rice (I use long grain)

1. Place medium pot over med-hi heat and pour vegetable oil while it heats.
2. Stir in sofrito until it is fragrant.
3. Toss in salchichas and tomato sauce.
4. Pour in water and stir until it all comes together.  Cover and allow to come to a full boil.
5. Pour in rice and let it come to a simmering bubble, mixing.
6. Turn heat onto low and allow to cook for 20mins or until rice is fully cooked.

 Enjoy!

My arroz con salchicha

PS: Mom, if you are reading this… I am out of salchichas. Send more.  Please and thank you.