Cathe's Red Beans & Rice
Submitted by Luvtocook
Authentic Louisiana red beans and rice slow-simmered with smoky ham, spicy sausage, and the holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper. A New Orleans Monday-supper tradition.
YIELD
15 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
2 hrsRed beans and rice on a Monday is gospel in Louisiana, and Cathe’s version sticks to the script. Dried kidney beans get a quick-soak head start, then simmer for hours in a deeply seasoned ham broth built on the Cajun holy trinity of celery, onion, and bell pepper. Bay leaf, thyme, oregano, white and black pepper, and just enough cayenne to remind you this isn’t bland church food.
The spicy sausage and torn ham go in toward the end so they keep their integrity instead of melting into the pot. The beans break down on their own, releasing their starch into the broth and creating that signature creamy gravy without any blender or thickener.
Watch the bottom of the pot like a hawk in the last 30 minutes. Scorched beans will ruin the whole batch, but if you catch it early just transfer to a fresh pot without scraping the bottom and you’ve saved dinner.
Pro Tips
- The quick-soak (boil 3 minutes, then sit covered for an hour) cuts hours off the cook time without sacrificing texture.
- Don’t add salt until the beans are nearly tender. Salt added too early toughens the skins and they’ll never soften.
- Andouille is the traditional sausage here. Smoked kielbasa or hot Italian work in a pinch.
- Stir often during the final breakdown stage so the bottom doesn’t catch.
- Make this a day ahead. Like all good bean dishes, the flavor doubles overnight in the fridge.
Variations
- Add a smoked ham hock to the broth stage for even deeper smoke and body.
- Stir in a tablespoon of pickled jalapeño juice at the end for tangy heat.
- Serve with hot cornbread and a few dashes of Crystal or Tabasco at the table for the full Louisiana experience.
Ingredients
Directions
Empty the beans into a 6-quart saucepan.
Run water over them, washing them with your hands and picking out any stones or bad beans.
Drain and repeat until the water runs clear and has no sand in it.
Add water to the pot to cover the beans by about 4 inches.
Place on a large burner and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat slightly, boil gently for 3 minutes, remove from burner and cover.
Let the covered pot sit, un-opened, for an hour.
Drain and reserve the beans, discarding the juice.
Place the ham pieces, 2 cups of water, the chopped vegetables and seasonings in a 12-quart saucepan or large dutch oven.
Stir well, cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Reduce the heat and simmer until the meat is fork tender, about an hour, stirring occasionally.
Remove the meat from the pan and tear it into small pieces.
Set it aside.
Add the drained beans and 2 cups water to the pan with the ham broth and vegetables.
Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the sliced sausage and 2 cups more water if the beans are not covered with liquid and continue simmering until the beans start breaking into pieces, about 35 more minutes, stirring often to the bottom of the pan.
If the beans start to scorch, do not stir.
Instead, immediately remove them from the heat and transfer them to another pot without scraping any scorched beans into the mixture.
Add the ham pieces or hocks and cook about 10 minutes more, stirring often.
Do not let the mixture get dried out like refried beans, but keep it thicker than cream soup.
To serve, mound ½ cup cooked rice in a bowl and cover with beans, ham and sausage pieces.
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