Every Monday we could count on red beans and rice for lunch/dinner. An old custom from the time when ham was a Sunday meal and Monday was washday. A pot of beans could sit on the stove and simmer while the 'wimmen folk' were busy scrubbin' the good ole boys dirty drawers.
Nowadays, the good ole boys either wash their own drawers or they buy the little lady a nice washing machine to make life easier (for her and him!) But red beans and rice on Monday is still a way of life!
This recipe may take some 'fiddlin with' to get it the way you want it.
Red Beans and Rice
- 1 pound dry, red beans
- 1 large onion, chopped up
- 1 bell pepper, chopped up
- 5 ribs of celery, chopped up
- Minced garlic (this you fiddle with, about 4 or 5 cloves)
- 1 large smoked hamhock, 3/4 pound ham, diced (you can use pickle meat)
- 1 or 1 1/2 pound andouille (cajun sausage) can substitute regular sausage
- A couple three dashes of Tabasco sauce (depends on how hot ya like it)
- Salt, black pepper and red pepper to taste
Cover the beans with water and soak them overnight if possible. The next day, drain off this water and add fresh water in the pot. Bring beans to a rolling boil, always making sure the beans are covered with water. Boil for about an hour, then drain this water off.
While the beans are boiling, saute the trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery) until the onion is clear. Add the garlic and cook for a couple more minutes, but keep stirring so it doesn't burn!
Add this mix to the drained, boiled beans. Add the hamhock or ham or pickled meat (whatever you have on hand or like the best), andouille (or smoked sausage), seasonings and water to cover to mixture.
Bring all of this to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 2~3 hours. Make sure you stir it every once in a while so the beans don't stick to the bottom of the pan (yuck, nothing worse than burnt beans!).
When the beans are done, if the soup isn't creamy, mash a few spoonfuls of beans against the side of the pan and stir that in.
Make a big ole pot of rice, pick up a fresh loaf of French bread, and you have a feast fit for a king!
