Cooking a “pot of beans” is a classic Southern tradition. Found in most Southern pantries, dried beans are an inexpensive staple making them a great way to feed a family. Served alongside cornbread, it’s a satisfying meal made from humble ingredients. Chock full of ham with smoky, savory flavors, a touch of spice and a subtle pinch of sweet – Red Beans and Rice brings cooking with pantry staples to another level!
Growing up in the Texas Panhandle, the beans found cooking on the stove were most always pinto. But after a move to North Texas I discovered dear friends from Louisiana along with Red Beans and Rice.
You start with a pound of red beans, any type of red bean can be used – I happened to have red kidney beans on hand. The beans are cooked long and slow with sweet onion, chunks of ham and a generous amount of Worcestershire sauce. Stir in garlic salt, a touch of cayenne pepper, some bay leaves, and cinnamon plus just a bit of brown sugar.
Once the beans are soft, mash about half of them to thicken the batch then cook them a little longer. The blend of cinnamon and spices mixed with the smokiness infused from the Worcestershire sauce and ham create a magical batch of comfort.
After an afternoon of slow simmering ladle the red beans over fluffed Jasmine rice, perfect for soaking up the thick stock. It’s a number of steps, some time spent cooking but with minimal attendance. Your patience will be rewarded. Move over pinto beans, you’ve met your match!
Red Beans and Rice
For the beans:
1 pound red beans, rinsed and sorted
12 cups of water
1 large sweet onion, chopped, about 3 cups
1 pound of smoked or cooked ham, diced, about 4 cups
1 teaspoon garlic salt
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon brown sugar
⅛ teaspoon cinnamon
3 bay leaves
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
For the rice:
1 cup rice, preferably Jasmine
1-½ cups water
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
To cook the beans:
Pour the rinsed beans into a large stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water comes to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 40 minutes. Stir the beans occasionally.
After 40 minutes, add the chopped onion and ham along with the garlic salt, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, bay leaves, and the Worcestershire sauce. Cover the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat for an additional 2 hours. Stir the beans occasionally.
Using the back of a spoon, mash about half of the cooked beans. Check for seasonings, adding more kosher salt if needed. Continue cooking the beans uncovered for another hour or until the liquid has reduced slightly and thickened.
For the rice:
Combine the rice with the water, kosher salt and olive oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat.
Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pan for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
To serve, place a scoop of the rice into a bowl and ladle the red beans over the rice.
Serves 6.
Red Beans and Rice
Equipment
- Large stockpot
- small saucepan
Ingredients
- For the beans:
- 1 pound dried red beans, rinsed and sorted
- 12 cups water
- 1 large sweet onion, chopped, about 3 cups
- 1 pound smoked or cooked ham, diced, about 4 cups
- 1 teaspoon garlic salt
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon teaspoon cinnamon
- 3 bay leaves
- ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
- For the rice:
- 1 cup rice, preferably Jasmine
- 1-½ cups water
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
- To cook the beans:
- Pour the rinsed beans into a large stockpot and cover with the water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally. When the water comes to a boil, cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 40 minutes. Stir the beans occasionally
- After 40 minutes, add the chopped onion and ham along with the garlic salt, kosher salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, brown sugar, cinnamon, bay leaves, and the Worcestershire sauce. Cover the pan and continue cooking over medium-low heat for an additional 2 hours. Stir the beans occasionally.
- Using the back of a spoon, mash about half of the cooked beans. Check for seasonings, adding more kosher salt if needed. Continue cooking the beans uncovered for another hour or until the liquid has reduced slightly and thickened.
- To cook the rice:
- Combine the rice with the water, kosher salt and olive oil in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to low and cook the rice for 15 minutes.
- Remove the pan from the heat and let the rice steam in the covered pan for an additional 10 minutes. Fluff the rice with a fork.
- To serve, place a scoop of the rice into a bowl and ladle the red beans over the rice.
