Ingredients
Method
- Prep. Prepare all of the red beans and rice ingredients, starting by cutting the andouille sausage into 1/2-inch (1.3cm) rounds. Chop the onions and celery. Press the garlic. Chop the Roma tomatoes.
- Prep the optional garnishes by first chopping the green onion. Remove the stem and seeds from the jalapeños and finely chop. Chop the Roma tomatoes into 1/2-inch (1.3cm) chunks. Refrigerate garnishes until ready to serve.
- Cook. In a 4 quart (3.8L) pot, cook the bacon over medium high heat.
- When some fat renders, add the sausage and ham, and brown them. If the bottom looks like it might burn, add an ounce or two of water (30 to 60mL) to loosen the meat bits and scrub them off with a wooden spoon.
- When the water is gone, add the onions, bell pepper, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, salt, and black pepper and stir occasionally until the vegetables are limp, scraping all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan.
- Add 2 cups of water (473.2mL), the tomatoes, chicken broth, vinegar, hot sauce, beans, and the smoked ham hock. Crank up the heat, bring everything to a boil and back it down to a simmer. Let it simmer, uncovered, about 1 to 2 hours. If it gets too thick, add some water or broth. If it is too runny, continue simmering to thicken it or add more beans.
- With a ladle or a large spoon, mash about 20 percent of the beans against the bottom or side of the pot. Remove the bay leaves and hock. Peel any meat you can get off the hock and toss it back in, discard the bone and bay leaf.
- Taste and adjust the salt, vinegar, and hot sauce to your preference. Turn to low. If you're going to brighten it with fresh chopped peppers, now's the time to add them.
- Prepare the rice as described in my article The Science of Rice.
- Serve. Spoon the rice in the center of a plate, top with the stew, and garnish.
- If there is any left over, you can just dump the beans and rice together in the fridge. When it is time to reheat you can refry with a little oil in a pan, and add a little water. I like to brighten the flavors with fresh peppers, tomato, onion, and maybe a splash of lemon juice.
Notes
About the beans. If you plan to use dried beans, as they do in NOLA, follow the instructions in my article The Science of Beans for prep instructions.
About the meats. None of these quantities is set in concrete. You can add more of any, or leave something out. But don't skip the ham bone.
About the bacon. Although it adds flavor, it is here mainly for the oil needed to brown the meats and cook the trinity. You can skip it and just use 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. If you do skip the bacon, try to use a ham hock instead of the ham bone so you can get that smoky flavor.
About the sausage. There is no exact substitute for good andouille, so make a serious effort to find some. If you can't use a smoked sausage such as kielbasa and add a little more hot sauce.
About the cured ham. You can buy a cured ham steak and chop it up or just use leftover ham from Easter.
About the salt. Remember, kosher salt is half the concentration of table salt so if you use table salt, use half as much. Click here to read more about salt and how it works.
Optional seasonings. Some folks like to add cumin an/or chile powder, parsley is common, and cilantro is often used. Worcestershire is occasionally added too.
Nontraditional, but... Red Beans & Rice is a classic stew, so most of the flavors melt together and only the andouille stands out. To give it a bit of brightness, I like to chop in some sweet bell pepper, red or green, about 30 minutes before serving. I then like to sprinkle green onions, jalapeños, and tomatoes just before serving. They really give things a nice freshness and a bit of texture. If you want crunch, croutons or oyster crackers are nice. I like to sprinkle Frank's Hot Sauce on it at table side.
Leftovers. If there is any left over, you can just dump the beans and rice together in the fridge. When it is time to reheat you can refry with a little oil in a pan, and add a little water. I like to brighten the flavors with fresh peppers, tomato, onion, and maybe a splash of lemon juice.