New
Orleans Red Beans and Rice Recipes
Red beans
and rice is an emblematic dish of Louisiana
Creole cuisine (not originally of Cajun
cuisine), traditionally made on Mondays
with red beans, rice, spices, and pork bones
left over from Sunday dinner, cooked together
slowly in a pot and served over rice. It
is an old custom from the time when ham
was a Sunday meal and Monday was washday.
A pot of beans could sit on the stove and
simmer while the women were busy scrubbing
clothes. Similar dishes are common in Latin
American cuisine, including moros y cristianos
and gallo pinto.
I
How
To Make Real New Orleans Red Beans And Rice
Directions:
This recipe is featured on
pages 116-117 of the 2001 Frommer's Guide
to New Orleans, for which I also wrote a
bunch of restaurant reviews.
NEW ORLEANS
RED BEANS AND RICE
1 pound red kidney beans, dry
1 large onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
As much garlic as you like, minced
1 large smoked ham hock, 3/4 pound of Creole-style
pickle meat (pickled pork), or 3/4 lb. smoked
ham, diced, for seasoning
1 to 1-1/2 pounds mild or hot smoked sausage
or andouille, sliced on the bias
1/2 to 1 tsp. dried thyme leaves, crushed
1 or 2 bay leaves
As many dashes Crystal hot sauce or Tabasco
as you like, to taste
A few dashes Worcestershire sauce
Creole seasoning blend, to taste; OR,
red pepper and black pepper to taste
Salt to taste
Fresh Creole hot sausage or chaurice, links
or patties, grilled or pan-fried, one link
or patty per person (optional)
Pickled onions (optional)
Soak the beans overnight, if possible. The
next day, drain and put fresh water in the
pot. (This helps reduce the, um, flatulence
factor.) Bring the beans to a rolling boil.
Make sure the beans are always covered by
water, or they will discolor and get hard.
Boil the beans for about 45 - 60 minutes,
until the beans are tender but not falling
apart. Drain.
While the beans are boiling, sauté
the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper)
until the onions turn translucent. Add the
garlic and saute for 2 more minutes, stirring
occasionally. After the beans are boiled
and drained, add the sautéed vegetables
to the beans, then add the ham hock (or
ham or pickle meat), smoked sausage, seasonings,
and just enough water to cover.
Bring to a boil, then reduce
heat to a low simmer. Cook for 2 hours at
least, preferably 3, until the whole thing
gets nice and creamy. Adjust seasonings
as you go along. Stir occasionally, making
sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to
the bottom of the pot. (If the beans are
old -- say, older than six months to a year
-- they won't get creamy. Make sure the
beans are reasonably fresh. If it's still
not getting creamy, take 1 or 2 cups of
beans out and mash them, then return them
to the pot and stir.)
If you can ... let the beans
cool, stick them in the fridge, and reheat
and serve for dinner the next day. They'll
taste a LOT better. When you do this, you'll
need to add a little water to get them to
the right consistency.
Popeye's Red
Beans and Rice
3 (16 ounce) cans red beans
(2 cans with liquid, 1 can drained )
1/2 to 3/4 pound smoked ham hock
1 1/4 cups water
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon lard
1/4 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
4 to 5 cups long grain rice, cooked and
drained
Pour 2 cans of beans with
their liquid into a 2-quart saucepan. Add
smoked ham hock and water. Simmer over medium
heat for 1 hour until the meat starts to
loosen from the bone.
Remove from heat and cool
until the hock is cool enough so the meat
may be removed from the bone. Place the
meat, beans and liquid in a food processor.
To the mixture add onion powder, garlic
salt, red pepper, salt, and lard. Process
for only 4 seconds. Beans should be chopped
and liquid thick. Add the third can of beans
that have been drained of their liquid.
Process just for a second or two; you want
these beans to remain almost whole. Pour
bean mixture back into to pan and cook slowly
on low heat stirring often until ready to
serve.
Fast Red Beans
2 cans red kidney beans, (15
ounces each)
3 slices bacon
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 small bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions, with tops
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 jar (2 oz) chopped pimiento
1 can (8 oz) tomato paste
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 pound Polish sausage, sliced, if desired
Fry bacon and crumble into
kidney beans. Saute vegetables in the bacon
drippings. Cook until vegetables are wilted.
Add beans and remaining ingredients. Cover
and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.
Serves 4.
BAYOU ST.
JOHN RED BEANS AND
RICE
2 cups red beans
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons seasoned salt
1 bay leaf
dash cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 meaty ham bone or ham hock
hot cooked rice
smoked sausage, optional
Wash beans, soak overnight.
Drain well. In a large kettle, combine beans
with onion, garlic, salt, bay leaf, pepper,
and ham hocks; cover with cold water. Bring
to boil, reduce heat and simmer until done.
FRENCH QUARTER
RED BEANS AND RICE
1 lb. red beans
1/2 lb. sausage, or more to your taste
1 onion (chopped)
2 sections garlic (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons celery
1 tablespoon parsley
1 lg. bay leaf
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 teaspoons crushed red pepper , or to taste
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 teaspoons cumin
Put beans in pot of water
and rinse. Remove bad beans that float to
top. Drain water off and put beans in deep
pot with 8-9 cups water. Bring to boil for
2-3 minutes. Remove from heat, cover and
let set for 2 hours. Sponsored
Put back on heat at moderate to slow boil.
Meanwhile, saute in extra-light virgin olive
oil, onion, garlic, parsley, and celery.
Add sausage to saute. Then add entire sauteed
mixture to beans. Add bay leaf and spices
to entire mixture. Boil gently (simmer),
stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours, until
tender and squishy. If mixture becomes too
thick, add microwave-hot water to thin.
French Quarter
Sausage, Red Beans and Rice Pizza
Source: National Hot Dog and Sausage Council
1 (12-inch) prepared pizza
crust
1 1/2 cups chopped andouille or smoked sausage
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 medium green bell pepper, seeded and
chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (16 ounce) can red or kidney beans, rinsed
and drained
1/2 teaspoon ground red pepper, or as desired
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, as
desired
1/2 cup cooked white rice
8 ounces (2 cups) sharp Cheddar cheese,
shredded
1/2 cup chopped and seeded plum tomatoes
Preheat oven to 450 degrees
F.
In a medium, nonstick skillet
placed over medium heat, sauté sausage
for 3 to 4 minutes. Add beans, ground red
pepper, salt and black pepper, stirring
until heated through.
Spread bean mixture over pizza
crust; sprinkle with rice, cheese and tomatoes.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes or until cheese
is melted.
Louisiana
Red Beans and Rice
2 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans, rinsed and
drained
4 cups water
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
1/4 cup snipped fresh parsley
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chile pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 cups cooked rice
In a 4-quart pot, combine
the beans, 2 cups of the water, onions,
sweet peppers, parsley, garlic, chile peppers,
pepper flakes, ground red pepper, bay leaves,
thyme and basil. Cover and bring to a boil
over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low
and simmer for 40 to 45 minutes, stirring
occasionally.
Remove the bay leaves from
the bean mixture and discard them.
