Red Beans & Rice 4
By Thom7747
Bucking the growing “meatless Monday” trend, there is nothing meatless about red beans and rice; the stew pot usually holds a conflagration of pig parts. Red beans and rice should be rich, meaty, and spicy. The bean used typically is a red kidney bean, which comes in both large and smaller varieties. I prefer the smaller bean, the one that’s about the size of a pinto bean, because it gives you a better ratio of stew ingredients to bean and they tend to cook-up creamier; the larger kidney bean’s texture is grainier. The preferred Louisiana brand of red bean for the pot is Camelia; grab a bag if you see them anywhere. Some folks prefer pink beans (found all over the Caribbean and Latin America, and known in Spanish as habichuelas rosados, and some use pinto beans if that’s all they have on hand.
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Ingredients
- 1/2 pound smoked bacon, diced
- 1/4 cup chopped tasso (sub ham if unavailable)
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onions
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 3/4 cup chopped green bell peppers
- 1 pound andouille or chaurice sausage, 1-inch dice (sub Kielbasa or Spanish/Portuguese chorizo)
- 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
- 1 pound dried red beans, soaked overnight, drained, rinsed, and picked over
- 4 cups chicken stock
- 3 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne (or more, to taste)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice (or 1 fresh allspice leaf)
- 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
- 2 teaspoons fresh thyme (sub 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
- 2 Tablespoons dark roux (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt, to taste
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups cooked long grain white rice
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions, garnish
- Shaker of cayenne, for garnish
- Shaker of Creole seasoning, for garnish (optional)
Details
Servings 16
Adapted from austinchronicle.com
Preparation
Step 1
In a large pot, sauté the bacon over medium-high heat until fat is rendered and the bacon is beginning to brown. Add the tasso and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the andouille sausage and sauté about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute.
Add the soaked red beans, chicken stock, and water, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and add the cayenne, bay, allspice, thyme, and parsley. Cook while stirring occasionally over medium-low heat, uncovered, until the beans are tender and the stew starts to thicken, about 2 hours. If it gets too thick, add ½ cup of water at a time. If adding the optional roux, make sure the roux is hot before whisking it slowly into the stew.
Using the back of a large spoon pressed against the interior of the pot (or using an electric hand-held blender), mash or puree about a fifth to a quarter of the beans in the pot. Cook while stirring occasionally for an additional 20 minutes, or until the beans are thick and creamy.
Serve over hot rice and garnish with minced green onions and a sprinkle of extra cayenne. Some folks use a hot sauce like Tabasco, Louisiana (Red Dot), Crystal, or Trappey’s; personally, I don’t like the vinegar flavor it adds to the stew, preferring the cleaner finishing heat of cayenne. Some folks like to garnish with a light sprinkle of Creole seasoning, for an extra flavor boost right at the end. Popular brands include Zatarain’s, Tony Chachere’s, Rex, and Konriko.
To make your own Creole seasoning, combine:
2 Tbl hot paprika
2 Tbl garlic powder
1 Tbl freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbl onion powder
1 Tbl cayenne
1 Tbl dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
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