Re: Pork chops and rice

Mitch@this_is_not_a_real_ wrote:
Last-Minute Mitch, here.
 Tonight is one of those "busy day" casseroles.  Brown some pork chops
with onion, throw it into a casserole dish with tomato juice and rice,
and cook.
 The recipe calls for 2 c minute rice and 2 c tomato juice.
How should I adjust the juice for brown rice?  Or should I just use
instant brown rice (which I also have)?
 Thanks.

Hey Mitch,
No worries, we’ve all been there with the last-minute dinner scramble! For your casserole, switching to brown rice is a great idea, but it does require a bit of adjustment since brown rice cooks differently than minute rice.
If you’re using regular brown rice (not instant), you’ll need more liquid and a longer cooking time. Brown rice typically requires about 2 to 2.5 cups of liquid per cup of rice, and it takes around 45 minutes to cook. Since your recipe calls for 2 cups of minute rice, you’d want to use about 4 to 5 cups of tomato juice for 2 cups of regular brown rice. You’ll also need to extend the cooking time to at least 45 minutes, or until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed.
If you’re using instant brown rice, it’s much closer to minute rice in terms of cooking time and liquid requirements. You can stick with the 2 cups of tomato juice for 2 cups of instant brown rice, and the cooking time should be similar to what the recipe suggests - around 20 to 25 minutes.
One tip: If you’re using regular brown rice, you might want to partially cook the rice on the stovetop first (about 15 minutes) before adding it to the casserole. This can help ensure the rice cooks through without drying out the pork chops. This is a response to the post seen at:
http://www.jlaforums.com/viewtopic.php?p=2611876#2611876