Arroz de sarrabulho

Editorial content from Empório Portugal. Traditional recipes may vary by region, family, and cook.

About the recipe

Arroz de sarrabulho belongs to the pig slaughter cuisine of Minho, where nothing from the pig is wasted and the blood enters dishes with a strong identity.

The texture should be creamy and enveloping, with rice well bound to the broth of offal, chorizo, and spices — a dish for shared tables and long conversations.

As with many Portuguese recipes, there are variations by municipality, family, and cook — some versions are more liquid, others thicker; the profile of pepper and wine also changes according to local tradition.

Ingredients

• 400 g of carolino rice
• 1.5 l of pig offal broth
• 300 ml of pig's blood seasoned with vinegar
• 200 g of meat chorizo
• 150 g of pork ribs or cubed pork
• 1 large onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• Olive oil, salt, pepper, and fresh parsley

Preparation method

1. Prepare the offal broth in advance, straining and keeping it warm.
2. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil until translucent; add the pork and let it brown.
3. Add the chorizo in slices and let it release aroma without drying out.
4. Add the rice and stir in the sauté for one or two minutes.
5. Pour in the hot broth gradually, stirring like in a risotto until the rice is almost cooked.
6. Incorporate the seasoned blood in a stream, stirring constantly to avoid coagulation, and adjust salt and pepper.
7. Cook on low heat until the rice is creamy and the liquids are absorbed.
8. Let it rest for two minutes, sprinkle with parsley, and serve very hot.

Tips from Empório Portugal

• The blood should be well seasoned with vinegar and stirred before entering the rice.
• Hot broth and controlled heat prevent sticky rice or coagulated blood.
• Serve immediately after cooking — the texture loses elegance if it cools too much.

Possible substitutions in Brazil

• In a home context without fresh offal, strong meat broth can approximate the flavor, with a loss of authenticity.
• Chouriço de vinha d'alhos replaces meat chorizo in more aromatic versions from the coastal Minho.

Pairing

Young red vinho verde or full-bodied wine from Minho. Content for those over 18 years old; drink in moderation.