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zenbooty · 02-26-2008, 03:55 PM

Start with one to one and a half pounds of dry red kidney beans. Soak them overnight in a large pot (6 qts) as directed on the package.

Drain and rinse the beans, toss them back in the pot, and fill the pot with water about 3/4" over the beans. Bring the beans to a low simmer over low heat. Keep the beans at a low simmer throughout the cooking.

Once the beans are simmering, toss in one ham hock, a few cloves of crushed garlic (garlic powder will do in a pinch), a teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper, some basil and a bay leaf. All spices are according to taste. I play around with them and whatever else I have in the house at the time. However, I ALWAYS add some cayenne pepper, and garlic. Let the beans simmer, checking it and stirring some every 20-30 minutes or so, until the beans and fluid reach desired thickness. This could be anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, depending on how low you keep your simmer, how much water was added, etc. Note that the beans will thicken a bit when refrigerated, so you'll want to account for that if you're making a batch to eat over many days.

While waiting on the beans, dice one medium yellow onion. Take about one pound of Andouille sausage, halve the links lengthwise and then cut the halves into half-moon slices. bout an hour before the beans are finished, add the onion. Pull out the hamhock (It may have fallen apart by now, and you'll have to fish out the pieces, but whatever). If you got a good hamhock, it'll have meat on it, or falling off of it by now, probably. If so, you've scored and should chop up that meat with a cleaver. Toss the meat along with the andouille sausage in 20-30 minutes before the beans are done.

Take the beans off, stir it up and ladle the mixture over a bed of white rice. Serve with hot sauce (I recommend Crystal's) and cajun seasoning powder (Zatarain's or Tony Chachere's type stuff).

You'll note there is a lot of imprecision in this recipe, as far as cooking times and measurements go. Red beans are sturdy food, and can generally handle any reasonable amount of cooking as long as you stir them occasionally and don't let them stick to the bottom and burn. And the rest of the ingredients are robust type flavors. In short, there's not much subtlety in the flavor or texture of this dish, so you've got a fair bit of leeway as far as timing things. If you put the onions in too late and it starts to get too thick, you can always add a little water if necessary. In the end, you'll have a nice odiferous sludge that sticks to your ribs and goes great with the rice.

02-26-2008, 03:55 PM	#6
zenbooty Admiral Join Date: Aug 2000 Location: Prime Material Plane Posts: 7,486	My own red beans and rice, with soul Start with one to one and a half pounds of dry red kidney beans. Soak them overnight in a large pot (6 qts) as directed on the package. Drain and rinse the beans, toss them back in the pot, and fill the pot with water about 3/4" over the beans. Bring the beans to a low simmer over low heat. Keep the beans at a low simmer throughout the cooking. Once the beans are simmering, toss in one ham hock, a few cloves of crushed garlic (garlic powder will do in a pinch), a teaspoon or so of cayenne pepper, some basil and a bay leaf. All spices are according to taste. I play around with them and whatever else I have in the house at the time. However, I ALWAYS add some cayenne pepper, and garlic. Let the beans simmer, checking it and stirring some every 20-30 minutes or so, until the beans and fluid reach desired thickness. This could be anywhere from 3 to 6 hours, depending on how low you keep your simmer, how much water was added, etc. Note that the beans will thicken a bit when refrigerated, so you'll want to account for that if you're making a batch to eat over many days. While waiting on the beans, dice one medium yellow onion. Take about one pound of Andouille sausage, halve the links lengthwise and then cut the halves into half-moon slices. bout an hour before the beans are finished, add the onion. Pull out the hamhock (It may have fallen apart by now, and you'll have to fish out the pieces, but whatever). If you got a good hamhock, it'll have meat on it, or falling off of it by now, probably. If so, you've scored and should chop up that meat with a cleaver. Toss the meat along with the andouille sausage in 20-30 minutes before the beans are done. Take the beans off, stir it up and ladle the mixture over a bed of white rice. Serve with hot sauce (I recommend Crystal's) and cajun seasoning powder (Zatarain's or Tony Chachere's type stuff). You'll note there is a lot of imprecision in this recipe, as far as cooking times and measurements go. Red beans are sturdy food, and can generally handle any reasonable amount of cooking as long as you stir them occasionally and don't let them stick to the bottom and burn. And the rest of the ingredients are robust type flavors. In short, there's not much subtlety in the flavor or texture of this dish, so you've got a fair bit of leeway as far as timing things. If you put the onions in too late and it starts to get too thick, you can always add a little water if necessary. In the end, you'll have a nice odiferous sludge that sticks to your ribs and goes great with the rice. __________________ Common sense is what tells you the Earth is flat.