Red Beans and Rice

Chef Notes

Ingredients

Steps

Red Beans and Rice

Chef notes

My Dad’s red beans and rice was a staple in our home. I ate it all the time as a kid and it’s now my ultimate comfort food.

This time, I decided to switch up the creamed collard greens for creamed chard, kale, and mushrooms using acidic creme fraiche to brighten things up.

Ingredients

2 Tablespoons oil
Whole andouille sausages, 1-2 per person
1 pound bacon, chopped
2 yellow onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, chopped
1 rib celery, sliced
2 green bell peppers, seeds and pith removed, chopped
1 Tbsp California Love
1 pound Rancho Gordo Domingo Rojo beans, uncooked
Hot sauce

California Love All Purpose Chile Blend

$10

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Steps

Step 1 -

Heat dutch oven or pot over medium heat and add oil

Step 2 -

Sear the sausages to brown all over and remove to a plate.

Step 3 -

Add bacon and a 1/2 cup of water and simmer to render the bacon fat. When the water evaporates the bacon will fry in its own fat.

Step 4 -

When the bacon is crispy, remove to a plate.

Step 5 -

Add onions, garlic, celery and bell peppers and sauté for about 8-10 minutes or until soft.

Step 6 -

Add the beans and enough water to cover by 2 inches.

Step 7 -

Bring to a boil and continue to boil for 15 minutes. Lower the heat and simmer for about 1-1.5 hours. Begin testing at an hour.

Step 8 -

Purée or mash half of the beans to make a creamier texture and add the bacon.

Step 9 -

Season with salt.

Step 10 -

Reheat the sausages, I like to add them to the pot of beans and close the lid to steam for 5 minutes. You can also cut the sausage into pieces and mix with the beans.

Step 11 -

Serve over white rice with scallions and hot sauce.

Things to remember

I do not usually soak my beans if I am using high-quality beans such as these from Rancho Gordo.
I add water to the pan when I cooked bacon because it helps render the bacon fat. When the water evaporates the bacon fries in its own fat, creating incredibly crispy bacon pieces. I add these at the end to retain some texture but you can also simmer the beans with the bacon to create a stronger bacon flavor in the beans.
I highly recommend making your own hot sauce! It lasts for a few months because of the high vinegar content and you will want to use it on everything!