Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
- 8-quart Heavy gauge pot
Ingredients
- 1 pound kidney beans Camillia Brand® is recommended
- 2 quarts water
- 1 large finely chopped onion
- 1 cup finely chopped green onions
- 1 tbsp minced fresh garlic
- ½ tsp thyme
- ½ tsp Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning®
- ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 pound pickled meat, salt pork or ham hocks
- 1 tbsp ham base
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Instructions
~Night before cooking:
- Rinse beans well and discard unwanted beans and / or foreign bodies. Soak in about 6 cups cold water or enough to cover beans with 2 inches of water.
~Cooking day:
- In ~3 quart pot boil salt pork for about 10 minutes and discard the water.
- Rinse beans and cover with 2 inches water and cook for about an hour over medium heat.
- Add onions, garlic, Tony's Creole Seasoning, thyme, bacon grease, ham base and parsley. Decrease the heat to medium low, Stir the beans occasionally and scrape the sides of the pot.
- After one hour add another cup of water when water level goes down. More water may need to be added and allowed to cook down depending on the tenderness of the beans. Use an immersion blender to cream some of the beans or smash some of the beans against the side of the pot. Cook the beans another 30 minutes to ensure the beans are tender and creamy. (Fresher beans cook a little faster.)
- Serve over hot cooked white rice with smoked sausage and French Bread or cornbread.