Louisiana red beans and rice

Method

1. Soak small red beans overnight and drain. Cook onion, pepper, and celery in oil for 7 minutes, add sausage for 4 minutes, then garlic for 30 seconds.
2. Add beans, ham hock, fresh water, seasoning, thyme, bay, and hot sauce. Bring to a real boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook 2 to 3 hours until fully creamy, adding hot water if needed.
3. Remove hock. Shred edible meat, discard skin, bone, and excess fat, and return meat. Mash about 250 g beans against the pot. The mixture should be soupy but not watery.
4. Cook rice separately in its measured water. Remove bay, add scallions, and rest beans 10 minutes before serving over rice.

Ingredient substitutions

• Small Louisiana red beans are preferred. In Germany use kleine rote Bohnen or kidney beans; in Canada use small red beans or kidney beans. Kidney beans are larger, firmer, and less creamy. Soak dried kidney beans at least 5 hours, discard soaking water, and boil in fresh water at least 30 minutes before simmering. Never cook raw kidney beans only in a slow cooker.
• In Germany replace ham hock with geräucherte Schweinshaxe or leaner, saltier Kasseler; weigh edible boneless meat separately and reduce salt. Canadian smoked ham hock is direct.
• Fully cooked Louisiana andouille is preferred. In Germany use firm, fully cooked Krakauer or smoked Mettwurst; in Canada use fully cooked kielbasa or another smoky cooked sausage. These alternatives are less peppery and garlic-forward. Verify the label: raw pork or beef sausage must reach 71°C and raw poultry sausage 74°C. Check the beans before adding more salt.

Notes

• Cool beans and rice separately in shallow containers within 2 hours. Refrigerate 3 to 4 days or freeze beans without rice up to 3 months.
• Loosen beans with water and reheat both components separately to 74°C.

Sources consulted

• Explore Louisiana: Red beans and rice
• University of Maine: Dried beans
• FDA: Natural toxins in food