Fat Tuesday is right around the corner so I thought it would a great time to share my Beans and Rice recipe. This Beans and Rice dish defines southern comfort food and it’ll cure what ails you. Is it cold and snowy out? Serve rice and beans! Are you hung-over from an evening of rabble-rousing and debauchery (it’s Mardi Gras season after all)? Serve rice and beans!
Beans and Rice may sound boring, but it’s anything but that. This dish is layered with flavor, in part due to the long braising time as well as the addition of mirepoix and cajun meats. I use a combination of andouille sausage and tasso ham in my beans. If you’ve never tried tasso before, it’s a smoked, spiced and cured pork unique to southern Louisiana cuisine. It can be eaten on it’s own, but I prefer it as a base in soups, stews, gumbos, braised vegetables and the like. It’s a perfect flavor-booster in this beans and rice dish, but ham hock or bacon are both good substitutes too.
Most commonly, beans and rice are made with red beans, such as kidney beans, or white beans, such as Great Northern beans, but I like to use baby lima beans. They are rich, silky and creamy and true to their namesake, the butter bean. Take the extra time and use dried beans when making this dish. This will require you to soak your beans overnight, but it’s worth it. Starting with dried beans will result in perfectly seasoned and perfectly textured beans every time.
To make this dish, rinse and soak one pound of dried baby lima beans in a bowl filled with 8 cups of cold water. Just leave the bowl on the counter overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans and set aside.
In a large stockpot or Dutch oven, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Chop one medium-sized onion, 2 ribs of celery and one green bell pepper. Add the vegetables to the pot and stir. Next, add ½ pound of chopped andouille sausage and 4 ounces of finely chopped tasso to the pot. If you are unable to find tasso at your market, use bacon or ham hock instead, along with a ½ teaspoon each of cayenne, cumin, paprika and brown sugar. (Note: tasso comes well seasoned, so the spices are only really needed if using bacon or ham.) Cook the meats and vegetables, stirring occasionally, until browned and fragrant.
Next, add the lima beans, 32 ounces of chicken stock, 1 bay leaf, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar to the pot. Stir. Bring contents to a boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer the beans for about 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally. After 90 minutes, uncover the pot and continue to cook the beans uncovered for an additional 30 minutes. Make the rice while your beans finish braising. When the rice is done, you’re ready to eat! Remove the bay leaf from the beans and serve by spooning about a ½ cup of rice onto each plate, followed by a good helping of beans and a shake or two of good hot sauce. Enjoy. Happy Mardi Gras!
Beans and Rice
Ingredients
- 1 lb dried baby lima beans, soaked overnight
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 celery ribs, chopped
- 1 bell pepper, cored and chopped
- ½ pound andouille sausage, chopped
- 4 ounces tasso ham, finely chopped (see note below for substitution)
- 32 ounces chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp kosher salt (I use Morton's, more may be needed if using Diamond)
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 tbsp white vinegar
- 4 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- Soak dried baby lima beans overnight. The next day, drain and rinse beans and set aside.
- In a large stock pot or Dutch oven, heat up 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the chopped onion, celery and bell pepper to the pot and stir.
- Next, add the chopped andouille sausage and tasso ham. If you do not have tasso, use bacon or ham hock as a substitute along with ½ teaspoon each of cayenne, cumin, smoked paprika and brown sugar. (Tasso comes well seasoned, so you do not need these spices unless using a meat substitute.)
- Cook the vegetables and meats until browned and fragrant.
- Next, add 32 ounces of chicken broth, one bay leaf, 4 cloves of minced garlic, 2 teaspoons of salt, ½ teaspoon of pepper and 1 tablespoon of white vinegar. Bring contents to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer for 1 ½ hours. Stir beans occasionally.
- After 90 minutes, uncover the pot and continue to cook the beans for an additional 30 minutes. White the beans cooked, uncovered, make the rice.
- When the rice is done, it's time to eat! Remove bay leaf from beans, and serve by scooping about ½ cup of rice onto each plate, topped with a healthy serving of beans. Serve with a good hot sauce and enjoy. Happy Mardi Gras!
