The rice is plain white rice until the very end, when cilantro and lime juice are forked through it. That keeps it bright rather than turning it into a red tomato rice.
While the rice rests, the beef browns with chili powder, cumin and garlic powder, and the beans warm separately. Everything is arranged in sections rather than stirred together.
How to Make It
Rice simmered and fluffed
Combine the rice, water and 1/4 tsp salt, bring to a boil, cover and simmer 15 minutes. Rest 5 minutes, then fluff with the cilantro and lime juice.
Beef browned to 160°F
Meanwhile cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium-high heat with the chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and remaining salt until browned and at 160°F.
Beans warmed
Warm the black beans separately until hot.
Bowls sectioned
Divide the cilantro rice among four bowls and arrange the beef, black beans, tomato salsa, romaine, cheddar and sour cream in sections over the rice.
Served with lime
Serve with the lime wedges.
Ingredient Notes
- Long-grain white rice
- One cup dry, simmered in two cups of water and finished with cilantro and lime.
- Chopped tomato salsa
- One cup of fresh salsa, spooned in raw as its own section.
- Salt, divided
- A quarter teaspoon seasons the rice and the rest goes into the beef.
How Each Bowl Is Sectioned
Rice across the base, then six toppings in their own places.
What goes into one bowl
Cilantro-lime rice
A quarter of the rice as the base layer.
Seasoned ground beef
One section, browned and drained.
Black beans
Warmed and spooned into their own section.
Tomato salsa
Fresh and raw, kept separate from the beans.
Romaine, cheddar and sour cream
The three cold toppings, each in its own place.
A lime wedge on the rim of every bowl.
Why This Recipe Works
- Adding the cilantro and lime after resting keeps the herb green and the flavour fresh.
- Seasoning the beef as it browns, rather than after, carries the spices through the meat.
- Warming the beans separately stops them colouring the rice.
- Sectioning the bowl lets each spoonful be a different combination.
Success Tips
- Let the rice rest the full five minutes covered before forking in the cilantro, so the grains separate.
- Drain any fat from the beef before it goes into the bowls so the rice stays light.
- Keep each topping in its own quadrant; the bowl is meant to be sectioned, not stirred.
Serving Ideas
Serve with the lime wedges on the rim and let everyone squeeze and mix their own bowl.
Storage and Reheating
Refrigerate
Refrigerate the rice, beef and beans separately and promptly, then reheat and add the cold toppings fresh.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the rice Spanish-style?
No. It is white rice fluffed with chopped cilantro and lime juice, not a red tomato rice.
How is the beef seasoned?
Chili powder, cumin, garlic powder and salt, added as it browns to 160°F.
