Dirty Rice
Submitted by snogee
Cajun dirty rice with ground chicken gizzards, livers, and pork cooked in the holy trinity with Tabasco, cumin, and paprika. Authentic bayou flavor in every forkful.
YIELD
2 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
40 minREADY
50 minDirty rice gets its name from the way ground organ meats and spices stain white rice a deep, mottled brown. This is old-school Cajun cooking at its most honest: cheap cuts, bold seasoning, and a hot cast iron skillet.
Chicken gizzards and livers are the soul of this dish. The gizzards go in first with the ground pork and get browned hard over high heat, building a dark fond on the pan bottom. That crusty layer is pure concentrated flavor, and scraping it up when the stock goes in is what gives the rice its deep, savory backbone.
The holy trinity of onion, celery, and bell pepper goes in with a serious spice load: paprika, cumin, dry mustard, thyme, oregano, and a hit of Tabasco. The chicken livers go in near the end so they stay creamy and tender rather than chalky and overcooked. Two minutes is all they need.
Cooking the rice right in the skillet with the stock means it absorbs every bit of that spiced, meaty liquid. Cover it, cut the heat to the lowest setting, and let it steam undisturbed.
Chef Tips
- Grind the gizzards yourself in a food processor with short pulses. You want a coarse, crumbly texture, not a paste.
- Don’t stir the rice once covered. Lifting the lid releases steam and extends the cooking time. Trust the process and leave it alone for the full 10 minutes off heat.
- The fond is everything. If the pan bottom isn’t dark and crusty after browning the meat, you haven’t gone far enough. Push it right to the edge of burnt without crossing over.
Variations
- Turkey giblet version: Use turkey gizzards and livers around Thanksgiving for a dirty rice that doubles as a holiday side dish.
- Andouille addition: Dice smoked andouille sausage and brown it alongside the pork for an extra layer of smoky, spicy richness.
Ingredients
Directions
Mince onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic.
Grind livers and gizzards.
Place fat, gizzards, pork and bay leaves in large heavy skillet over high heat; cook until meat is thoroughly browned, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Stir in the onion, celery, bell pepper, garlic, Tabasco, salt, pepper, paprika, mustard, cumin, thyme, and oregano; stir thoroughly, scraping pan bottom well.
Add the butter and stir until melted.
Reduce heat to medium and cook about 8 minutes, stirring constantly and scraping pan bottom well.
Add the stock or water and stir until any mixture sticking to the pan bottom comes loose; cook about 8 minutes over high heat, stirring once.
Then stir in the chicken livers and cook about 2 minutes.
Add the rice and stir thoroughly; cover pan and turn heat to very low; cook about 5 minutes.
Remove from heat and leave covered until rice is tender, about 10 minutes.
Remove bay leaves and serve immediately.
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