New Orleans Red Beans and Rice

Though I live in Nashville now, I am originally from New Orleans. I grew up eating the BEST food ever – we are so spoiled there! All of my family members are great cooks (some of them professional chefs). In New Orleans, you eat Red Beans and Rice on Mondays. It’s a staple. It’s a necessity!

Back in the old days, Monday was laundry day in New Orleans. Laundry took a while back then – and was a lot more hands on, of course. Red beans and rice takes a long time to cook, so the women would start their big pot of beans before starting the laundry. By the time they were done, dinner was ready!

I do not eat onions or garlic, so my red beans and rice recipe does not call for them. These two items are STAPLES in New Orleans cooking, so I’ve had to find ways around this obstacle. I’ve made notes for how to add them in.

This isn’t exactly a weeknight recipe – it takes a while. It isn’t very hands on, but it does require several hours of cooking recipes. There are plenty of good quicker recipes for the Instant Pot on Pinterest!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

• 1 pound dried red beans (Camellia brand is best, but hard to find outside of New Orleans)
• Roughly 1 pound ham hock (aka “seasoning meat”)
• 1 cup celery, finely diced
• 1 cup bell peppers, finely diced*
• 2 quarts water
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1 tsp cracked black pepper
• 2 tsp cayenne
• 2-3 bay leaves
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tbsp hot sauce of choice (I am a Crystal fan, my husband a Louisiana)
• 1 pound andouille sausage
• Secret ingredient: 1 stick salted butter
• To serve: cooked rice, diced fresh parsley
• Optional: crispy sauteed fresh okra!

*If you can eat onions and garlic, I highly suggest adding a cup of diced sweet onion and 3-4 minced garlic cloves in with the vegetables!

Instructions:

1. Cover your red beans in water and soak overnight – at least 8 hours, but up to 24.
2. Drain and rinse your beans. Set aside.
3. Brown the ham hock in a large dutch oven or pot on the stock on medium heat.
4. Add in the vegetables and saute until softened – 5-10 minutes.
5. Stir the beans, water, spices, bay leaves, Worcestershire, and hot sauce. Stir well. Bring to a boil and cover. Let it go for 20 minutes.
6. Reduce heat to low, stir, and cover again. Allow the beans to cook for 2-3 hours (the longer, the better!)
7. Once your beans are soft, take a potato masher and mash them all up. This will make them creamy and indicative of New Orleans style. We don’t need to see any individual beans hanging out!
8. Dice up 2/3 of your andouille and brown it in a separate cast iron pan. Stir that into the red beans. Slice the last 1/3 of the andouille into thick slices and brown them – these you’ll serve on top!
9. The crucial secret ingredient: stir in one whole stick of salted butter until it is melted. This is the absolute best part!
10. Serve over rice with the thick andouille slices and fresh parsley and enjoy.