Mama’s Red Beans and Rice
This famous New Orleans dish was originally served on Mondays, utilizing the ham bone left over from Sunday supper. Very low maintenance, it simmered on the stove all day while the women washed the family’s laundry and hung it out to dry. Although for the most part, Monday wash day is a thing of the past, red beans and rice is still often served as a lunch or dinner special at many New Orleans restaurants. Dishes of rice and beans are part of rustic country cooking in the Caribbean and all over the world. The inexpensive combination of rice and beans supplies essential amino acids not often found in plant proteins, and more readily found in expensive meat proteins. For the ham bone, traditional recipes now often substitute spicy boudin, smoked sausage, or Cajun andouille. Boudin is a spicy pork sausage with onion, rice, and herbs. Cajun andouille is a highly seasoned smoked sausage made from pork, whereas French andouille is made from the stomach and intestines. The andouille of Guémené, France, is crafted so that the intestines are placed inside one another, giving it the appearance of concentric circles before it is dried and smoked. This is potent stuff. I am always willing to try anything once, including chilled slices of smoked pig’s intestines. Let’s just put it this way, I’d rather have a heaping bowl of Mama’s Red Beans and Rice, and I’m not asking for seconds of French andouille any time soon.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 6 to 8
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Place the kidney beans in a large bowl and add water to cover. Soak overnight. Or place the beans in a large pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the beans come to a boil, remove from the heat and set aside for 1 hour. Before cooking, discard any floating beans and drain.
Step 2
To prepare in a slow cooker, place the drained soaked beans, ham bone, onion, garlic, and the water in the insert of a slow cooker. Cook over low heat until the beans are tender, about 6 hours.
Step 3
To prepare on the stovetop, combine the soaked beans, ham bone, onion, garlic, and water in a large, heavy-bottomed Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to low. Simmer, covered, until the beans are tender, 4 to 5 hours. Season with hot sauce. Taste and adjust for seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve with rice pilaf.
