Red
beans and rice is one of the cornerstone dishes of Louisiana
cooking. In New Orleans, this dish was traditionally made on Mondays,
which was the day to do the laundry of the household. The cooks
of various families around town, needing a dish that would cook
slowly on the stove all day long while they tended to their laundry
duties, began to prepare red beans and rice on wash day. Over time,
it became a tradition. Today, while this dish is no longer relegated
to being eaten only on Mondays, red beans and rice is offered at
many restaurants in New Orleans as well as being served up in the
home every day of the week.
The
beauty of this dish lies in its simplicity. The following recipe
will illustrate that point as well as provide you with a guideline
to making your first batch of authentic red beans and rice. Keep
in mind that, after preparing this dish several times, you may want
to experiment and add some of your own ideas to this recipe.
Ingredients:
2 lb dry red kidney beans
¼ lb unsalted butter, cubed
2 cloves fresh garlic, diced fine
1 medium sized Spanish onion, peeled and chopped coarse
3 stalks of celery, chopped coarse
2 large carrots, end removed, peeled and chopped medium fine
1 tsp dry basil
1 tsp dry oregano
1 tsp celery salt
½ tsp dry thyme
½ tsp ground black pepper
¼ tsp ground white pepper
¼ tsp Hungarian paprika
2 large smoked pork hocks
4 cups cold water (more will be needed)
¼ cup Frank's Hot Sauce or Tabasco sauce
2 tsp Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce
1 can (16 oz) crushed tomatoes
Cooking Procedure:
The night before you prepare your red beans, pick through the beans,
discarding any pebbles or stones. Place the beans in a container
and cover the beans with cold water. Cover the container and place
this in your fridge overnight. In the morning, you will see that
much of the water has been absorbed by the beans. Drain the beans
in a colander. Do not rinse them. Set the beans aside.
In a large pot, melt the butter over
high heat. Add the garlic, onions, celery, carrot and spices. Stir
well and cook this until the onions begin to turn clear. Cook for
5 minutes; then add the pork hocks. Stir well and add 4 cups of
cold water. Bring this to a boil. Add the beans, hot sauce, Worcestershire
sauce and crushed tomatoes. Bring this to a boil. Add additional
cold water; enough to maintain at least ½ to 1 inch of water
above the beans. Bring this to a boil and then lower heat to a simmer.
Cook until the beans are tender. Using a large spoon, scrape the
bottom of the pot from time to time to prevent scorching the beans.
When the beans are soft and cooked to your preference, serve them
over mounds of steaming cooked rice.
