Red Beans & Rice...Let's Get Dirty

I was finally put to the most arduous task of making red beans and rice and be critiqued by the native masses.  This is no small task.  I am from the South, I understand how serious things like this are.  If you don't make it like they remember there grandmother's making it, then it is wrong.  At the same time, there are no two recipes that are alike, thus continuing Sisyphus' trip up the hill. For me, there is really only one way to make grits, fried chicken, or collards, yes, there are variations on additions, but at the core there is only one way.  One way.  So, I began by doing my research.

Red beans first came to Louisiana via the Haitian Slave Revolt that began in 1789 and flushed out all the refugee plantation owners and eventually freed and slave Africans up the Mississippi to New Orleans.  Now this emigration brought so much to New Orleans, variations on voudoux, new musical instruments, and sugar cane know how.  It shaped the depth of culture and tradition in the city in so many ways.

Red Beans and Rice is traditionally served on Mondays--it's all about leftovers.  As well, as something mindless to make that you can ignore to clean the house, wash the clothes, etc.  Also, the sausage is traditional served on the side, but this is not how my recipe goes, I cannot give up the unbelievable flavor of pork fat from beginning to end.

1 lb Camellia Brand red beans, its a good Louisiana company.  Soaked overnight and drained. If you have the money add some white wine to the water you soak them in overnight.  You can also add an onion quartered and some dried peppers to infuse more flavor into the beans.

1 lb Louisiana Jasmine rice

1 ham hock
1 1/2 lb smoked sausage, halved and sliced

1 vidalia onion, minced
2 celery stalks, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 bell pepper, minced

1/2 c. white cooking wine
6 c chicken stock

1 t. cayenne, depends on how hot you are ready to go!
4 bay leaves
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
salt and pepper

2 Tbl butter

• Sear the ham hock on all sides in a large pot.  Add the halved and sliced smoked sausage and get a good sear producing pork fat to suate the vegetables in.
• Lower the temperature on the stove unit and add the vegetables, being careful not to burn anything. 
• Add the well drained beans.
• Deglaze the pan with 1/2 c. white cooking wine, and cook until almost all of the wine is gone.
• Add the chicken stock, you can also just use water here or a vegetable stock depending on monetary and dietary restrictions.
• Add the cayenne, bay leaves, thyme, and a little salt and pepper.  This will be cooking on low for about two more hours so you don't want to add too much salt too early, the taste will intensify.
• Let it ride on a slow boil for about two hours.  Make sure the beans are neither crunchy or smushed.
• In the mean time, about 20 minutes before the beans are done, cook the rice.  Slightly season with salt and pepper.
• Add butter to the beans when it is done, stir until the butter melts, taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed.
• Garnish with green onion if you are going for flare