Red Beans & Rice
batmon
27,574 Posts
Is there a more "natural" alternative to "Cajun/Creole" Seasoning?
Like Italian Season being a mix of various regular seasoning.
Ham and Andouille Sausage?
Stock or water?
Like Italian Season being a mix of various regular seasoning.
Ham and Andouille Sausage?
Stock or water?
Comments
Okay, this is in my top 3 Best Food Evar list, right behind rice-n-gravy. Mom made it every Sunday dinner,
and the way the house smelled all day, slowcookin dem beans and sausage? God.
Skip the mixes and find the combo of black-white-red pepper that works for you.
That Bay Leaf shit is suspect.
Andouille for sure, and Tasso Ham (Cajun-cured) if you can find it.
Dude, stock (NOT broth) for sure. Chicken not beef.
http://www.thirstyreader.com/more-than-just-recipes-authentic-creole-red-beans-and-rice-with-andouille-sausage/
AUTHENTIC CREOLE RED BEANS
Ingredients
??? Red beans, dried (preferably Camellia Brand), 1 lb.
??? Ham hocks, four each
??? Onion, one large, diced (about 2 cups)
??? Celery, 3 ribs, diced (about 1 cup)
??? Red bell pepper, one each, seeded and diced (about 1 cup)
??? Green onion, tops only, one bunch, diced (about 1/2 cup)
??? Garlic, minced, three toes
??? Bay leaf, 3 each
??? Dried thyme, 1/2T
??? Dried oregano, 1/2T
??? Allspice, 1/2t
??? L&P Worcstershire sauce, 1T
??? Salt and black pepper, to taste
??? Crystal hot sauce, to taste
??? Garnish: sauteed half-moons of andouille sausage, chopped parsley, and a sieved egg
Method
1. Soak the red beans in salted cold water overnight (the solution should taste like slightly diluted sea water).
2. The next day, drain and rinse the beans thoroughly, and set them aside. In a large stock pot, combine 2 quarts of water with the ham hocks, Cajun trinity, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, black pepper, allspice, and Worcestershire. Bring liquid to a boil, and then simmer for 30 minutes.
3. Add the red beans to the pot, and allow them to simmer, perhaps for a few hours, until they finally begin to break apart naturally.
4. Once the beans have formed a creamy consistency, season them with salt and hot sauce, if necessary. Remove the ham hocks, and carve away the meaty portions. Dice the ham hock meat and return it to the red beans.
5. Serve the red beans over fluffy white rice, and garnish with half-moons of sauteed andouille sausage, chopped parsley, and a sieved egg.
Lagniappe
During simmering, add as much water as necessary to the beans to help avoid scorching. I typically begin with two quarts of water, and if I leave the stock pot lid ajar, I sometimes don???t have to add any additional water (some steams escapes, but some drips back into the pot). Also, as the cooking liquid reduces, reduce the cooking temperature accordingly (it will require less and less heat to maintain a gentle simmer, especially as the beans release their starches). This latter tip also applies when the ham hocks are removed.
but if you want something real simple for beans and rice, throw a little cumin and hot pepper in with onions and garlic
I literally survived off of red beans and rice in and just after college. I'd make a big pot when I got broke and eat them every day for a week or more. I haven't made them in years and don't know if I wanna go back, but I support your quest.
(pronounced like Roger with -ma instead of -er)
Sounds cool, but i want the OG before i start w/ an alternative.
I wanna know what Cajun/Creol seasoning. Im gonna cop a box and read the ingrediants.
4 HAMHOCKS????? That's alot of PORK JUICE.
I read Tomatoes arent in the "OG".
-fire up the amp and get out your Jimmy McGriff record...you know the one ;-)
diced onion
diced jalapenos
minced garlic
a bit of ginger ginger (the amount depends on the season)
-caramelize them in veg oil adding the garlic and ginger later
*turnover the record
-add the water and the red beans
sea salt
ground cheyenne pepper
ground black pepper
ground "these little brown seed pods that I have in a jar that I sometimes put in my rice and sometime in my pan bread but you have to grind them with the motar petzle thing).
-invite the friends and family ofverwhile they simmer down
sweet and simple (add meet if desired from the bbq)
now put on the major lance record....you know the one Um, Um, Um, Um, Um, Um cause you know everyone is gonna be loving that good stuff.
i, like a lot of folks in NOLA, use these:
here's my method (i don't follow any recipes):
in a saucepan i saute some sausage (either andouille, smoked w/green onion, or turkey if i wanna be healthier) in veg. oil & butter. sometimes i'll throw some salt pork or cubed ham in as well. when that meat has been charred a little i take them out, but leave all of the resulting oil/juices and cook the trinity (equal parts onion, bell pepper, celery) and some garlic in that oil/fat. trinity is chopped finely and cooked until as much liquid as i'm patient for has been released.
i then add a can of the Bluerunner beans above, plus i just about fill up the empty can w/water (or stock if i've got some) and add that as well. alternatively you could add the dry beans + enough stock/water to cover the beans + about 1-2 cups extra. depends on how creamy/soupy you want them. i also add the meat i cooked first back into the pot now.
stir everything together. if i'm not using Bluerunner, i'll use a spatula to crush some of the beans against the side/bottom of the pot to make things creamier. with Bluerunner that's not really even necessary. i'll crush 5 times, that's it. then add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper (absolute must), and oregano. lately i've been throwing in paprika, a good amount of allspice, and a little bit of cumin and turmeric to the mix and i've been liking how it comes out.
to add some more nutritional value to the meal, i also like to add spinach, kale, or mustard greens to the pot unless i'm cooking for an out-of-towner and making a really "authentic" version.
i usually then let everything sit in the pot, stirred well, at a low simmer, covered, for 30 mins to an hour. i eat mixed well with white rice or this new Cajun whole grain basmati that i've been getting from the farmer's market.
ps, Chachere's and other "Cajun/Creole" seasonings are mostly salt, black pepper, cayenne, garlic, and oregano, but could be any lagniappe added in.
In the kitchen at K-Paul's, we used chef's seasoning blends, just as you would find in the market. However, his first cookbook also lists his blend for Cajun seasoning. Some people have already revealed the gist of it (I don't have the book handy at the moment to get into the specifics measurements): salt, cayenne, black pepper, white pepper, onion and garlic powder, dried herbs.
i make em exactly the same as what i wrote for red beans above.
I already purchased some low level Cajun seasoning.
Im gonna go cop some Andoullie and some try to get some red beans that arent Goya and them.
I ran to the grocer tonight to cop some beans to soak overnight, but the lines were ghetto long.
First thang tmmw im goin' food-diggin' all over Man-Hatt.
I dont see me coppin Pickled Pork though. Bacon should provide the "smokey" undertones needed.
Is "smokey" a flavor that's integral?
what's the inspiration?
You're a lifetime NYC dude, right?
Got relatives in the dirty?
Cajun food is just the shit and you're interested?
Crush on Emeril?
Im just into good food. Im not really that fascinated w/ NO cuisine, but i understand its power.
A lady friend made some instant Red Beans & rice last night and it was mediocre. So ive set out to get busy in the kitchen and get it 'right'.
There's a great book by Jeesica B. Harris called BEYOND GUMBO which talks about Fusion Food from the Atlantic Rim. Her recipe include Sassafras(File).
My grandmother is from France and was an incredible cook. Its in my blood.
dont forget no salt in the bean boiling water
i wouldn't say it's "smokey" that's integral--more just the flavor of animal fat and the umami/protein depth it brings to the dish.
Salt Pork and Audoullie for the meat.
what's the reasoning on this? too much salt already in stock/sausage/etc? i read a post a while back that compared boiling beans in salted and unsalted water and the salted ones came out much nicer looking: http://www.seriouseats.com/2010/01/how-to-make-the-best-chili-ever-recipe-super-bowl.html (about 1/4 way down the page, though it's all a good read)
it makes the beans harder and longer to cook apparently
i always found this to be a good substitute for colour/taste
Does that have Achiote in it? I dont need the red dye in this dish.
i like this one with mexican safran but you should check the box
Growing up in my house, we'd eat red beans and rice at least once a week. The Blue Runners are convenient as you don't really have to add anything (except sausage and lots of Tabasco at the table) to them for them to be good. That being said, adding to them works great as well. But when my Mom would go all out, Camellia beans were always the lick. And I'm pretty sure she was doing exactly what the Paul Prohomme cookbook told her to.
Not sure why first dude that responded said that Bay Leaves are suspect.
The best recipe I ever had, made by a friend who got it from a professor at Tulane, added carrots to be liquified with the onion, celery, and bell pepper.
Personally, I've only ever made fancified Blue Runners...so I don't have a definitve recipe. But last time I made my version for a Saints game a couple of months back, my friends went apeshit over it.
As for Cajun seasoning, Tony's has been my mainstay for decades now. I don't even mess with any others anymore.
copped