Homemade Southern Red Beans and Rice Ala Mary

If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you may recall my commenting often about reducing the amount of food in our freezer and I’m happy to report that I’ve made some significant progress and actually now know what’s in there.  I’ve had a package of andouille in there for a while and decided it needed to be used with the first half going to a shrimp dish.  When I discovered some red beans in the pantry, I decided that I’d make red beans and rice.

For the dish, I looked around and settled on the recipe from Mary’s Deep South Dish blog.  Check her blog for the original recipe, many pics, step-by-step instructions, and cooks notes.

Red Beans and Rice – adapted from Deep South Dish

Ingredients:

1 pound of dried, red kidney beans (Larry used red beans he had on hand)

1/2 tablespoon of cooking oil

1 package (12-14 oz.) andouille or regular smoked sausage – note 2

3 slices bacon, chopped

2 cups chopped onion

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped celery

1/2 tablespoon minced garlic, minced

Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste, optional (Larry omitted)

1 teaspoon dried basil

2 medium bay leaves

1 large meaty ham bone (Larry diced an inch thick of Kentucky Legends ham)

2 quarts of water

2 tablespoons unsalted butter or bacon drippings, optional

Kosher salt to taste, only if needed

Hot, cooked rice

Sliced green onion, for garnish, optional

Hot sauce, for the table

Larry’s Notes: 

Based on the number of beans I had, I used 1¼ of the amounts above.

I didn’t have enough andouille so I also used two links of Opa’s sausage.

Instructions:

1. Rinse and sort beans and place into a deep pot, adding water to cover beans plus an inch. Soak overnight or bring to a boil; boil for 5 minutes uncovered, turn off heat, cover and let soak for one hour. Drain and set aside.

2. Heat cooking oil in the pot. Cut sausage into 1-inch chunks and add to oil, cooking until browned; remove and set aside.

3. Add bacon and cook until fat is rendered.

4. Add the onion, bell pepper, and celery and sauté the veggies until tender, about 5 minutes.

5. Add the garlic, black and red pepper, basil and bay leaf to the vegetable mixture and continue cooking for about 3 minutes, stirring.

6. Add the ham bone or hocks, beans and sausage, and the 2 quarts of fresh water.

7. Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until beans are tender and slightly thickened.  For extra richness, stir in the butter when beans are finished.  

8. Remove bay leaves and discard.

9. Remove bone or hocks and pick off any meat, returning to the pot.

10. Taste and adjust for seasonings, adding salt only if needed.

11. Serve over hot, cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onion, if desired. Pass hot sauce at the table.

I thought it was very good and surprisingly, so did Bev – I made it without heat, except what was in the sausages, then added a little Tabasco to mine.

Photos can be enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

5/28/19 event date