Red Beans and Rice Recipe

Mardi Gras will be here in a little over a week. I’m not completely sure why Mardi Gras is celebrated, but it sure is fun to cook for the holiday. I’ve been cooking and improving upon this Red Beans and Rice recipe for the last 10 years. Not to toot my own trombone, but these beans kick butt. So, in honor of Mardi Gras, here is it is for you to enjoy!!

Note: Not the beans you will be cooking.

1 pound dried red beans
3 tablespoons bacon grease
½ stick butter
¼ cup chopped ham
1 medium onion, chopped
3 ribs celery, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1 lb. andouille cut into 1 inch pieces
Smoked sausage cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ham hock
¾ tsp dried thyme
2 bay leaves
Four dashes of Tabasco hot sauce
Five dashes of Worcestershire sauce
Creole seasoning (or red pepper and black pepper) to taste
Salt
Pepper

Directions

Place beans in a large pot, cover with several inches of water. Let soak overnight. This cuts back on farting, so do us a favor and don’t skip this step. Drain and set aside.

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease and butter over medium high heat until melted. Add the ham, stir until the ham is slightly cooked (about 3-4 minutes)

Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers (aka the Trinity!) to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Stir until vegetables are soft (about 4 minutes).

Add ham hocks, sausage, andouille, bay leaves, and thyme. Cook until ham hocks and sausage is brown (about 4 minutes). Your house will really start to smell good at this point.

Add the garlic (aka as the pope, because it looks like his funny hat!) and cook for 1 minute.

Add the beans.

Add water until everything is just covered. Stir and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered.

Add Tabasco Sauce, Worchestershire Sauce, and Creole seasoning.

Stir occasionally until the beans are tender and begin to thicken—about two hours. If beans become dry, add more water.

With the back of a spoon, mash about ¼ of the beans against the side of the pot. Continue to cook until the beans are tender and creamy—about 45 minutes.

Serve over rice. Eat with French bread and your favorite beer.

February 12, 2012 | Categories: Other Things That I Think | Tags: Mardis Gras, Red Beans and Rice Recipe | 2 Comments