Serves 4 to 6
1/4 C olive oil
2 onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lb beef or lamb, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 red pepper, finely chopped (I believe this is a hot pepper, not a red bell pepper)
Pinch cayenne
2 C boiling water
1 C rice, rinsed
12 Kalamata olives
3 T chopped parsley or cilantro
Cook the onions in the oil for a few minutes, then add the garlic, meat, pepper salt, and cayenne. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add boiling water, cover, and cook for 1 hour over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Stir in the rice and olives and cover, then cook without peeking for 18 minutes over low heat. (The trick to this is to listen carefully, so you can tell if the heat is too high or too low. An alternative is to use a pan with a glass lid.)
Stir in the parsley (Saudi Arabian version) or cilantro (Bahraini version) before serving.
Pressure cooker version: Instead of cooking for 1 hour over medium heat, pressure cook the meat for 20 minutes. Use a quick-release method to release the pressure. Then stir in the rice and olives, lock the lid, and cook for another 5 minutes.