La Bandera Dominicana

Step 1

Place a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons olive oil.

Step 2

When the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, add the meat cubes in a single layer without moving them for 3 minutes so they brown on one side.

Step 3

Stir the meat once and cook for another 2 minutes until the second side looks golden brown, then transfer to a clean plate.

Step 4

Add the diced onion to the same skillet and stir once every 15 seconds for 2 minutes until the pieces soften and begin to turn translucent.

Step 5

Add the minced garlic and stir constantly for 30 seconds until the kitchen smells strongly fragrant.

Step 6

Pour in the tomato sauce and scrape the bottom of the skillet with a wooden spoon to lift up all the stuck-on brown bits, about 20 seconds.

Step 7

Return the cooked meat to the skillet and stir once to coat it in the sauce, then reduce heat to medium-low.

Step 8

Cover the skillet with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through, until the meat is very tender when pierced with a fork.

Step 9

Add the drained kidney beans to the skillet and stir gently for 1 minute until they are coated in sauce and warmed through.

Step 10

In a separate 3-quart pot, bring 2 cups broth to a boil over medium-high heat, which takes about 5 minutes.

Step 11

Add the rice to the boiling broth, stir once, and immediately reduce heat to low.

Step 12

Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 18 minutes without lifting the lid or stirring, until all liquid is absorbed.

Step 13

Remove the pot from heat and let it sit covered for 5 minutes so the rice finishes steaming.

Step 14

Fluff the rice by stirring it with a fork, lifting gently to separate the grains.

Step 15

Place an 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.

Step 16

When the oil shimmers, carefully place the cheese cubes into the pan in a single layer without crowding.

Step 17

Cook for 2 minutes without moving the cheese until the bottom side develops a golden-brown crust, then flip each cube with a fork.

Step 18

Cook the second side for 1 minute until it is also golden brown, then transfer to a small plate lined with paper towels.

Step 19

Divide the cooked rice equally between two dinner plates, mounding it in the center of each plate.

Step 20

Spoon the meat and kidney bean stew onto the right side of the rice mound on each plate.

Step 21

Arrange the fried cheese cubes on the left side of the rice mound on each plate, leaving the white rice visible in the center.