Red Beans & Rice

Red beans and rice is a traditional Creole dish that has become a staple in many Southern American households. It is often served on Mondays, as it was believed that this was a good way to use up leftover ham from Sunday dinner. The dish is usually made with red beans, rice, onions, peppers, and a variety of spices, giving it a unique flavor and texture.

The dish is not only delicious, but it is also a symbol of the cultural history of the American South. The tradition of serving red beans and rice on Mondays dates back to the 19th century, when laundry was done on Mondays and people needed a meal that could be cooked slowly while they worked.

Serve it over boiled rice or Basmati Lime Rice.

VegetablesBeansSouthern

Prep Time: 15 min

Cook Time: 45 min

Total Time: 1 hour

Yield: 4 servings

Bowl of red beans with ham on rice.

Ingredients

  • 1 large can, red kidney beans
  • 1 lb. ham steak
  • 2-3 slices bacon, chopped
  • 1-2 cups chicken stock
  • ½ cup onions, diced
  • ¼ cup (1 stalk?) celery, diced
  • ½ green pepper (¼ cup?), diced
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
  • 1 tsp. parsley
  • ½ tsp. thyme
  • ½ tsp. oregano
  • ⅛ tsp. ground cumin
  • ⅛ tsp. red pepper flakes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • Splash of cider vinegar
  • ¼ tsp sugar
  • 1 cup long grain white rice

Equipment

  • Cast iron skillet, dutch oven, or stew pot
  • Mesh colander

Instructions

Prep

  1. 1.
    Brown bacon in the bean pot, then remove it from the fat and set it aside on a paper towel.
  2. 2.
    In a separate cast iron skillet, sear the ham steak on both sides until it's nice and brown.

Sauté

  1. 3.
    Add the onions, celery, and peppers (trinity) to the skillet and sauté until tender.
  2. 4.
    Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
  3. 5.
    Add herbs and tomato paste, then stir until toasted.
  4. 6.
    Add beans, including liquid, and stir.
  5. 7.
    Add cumin and pepper flakes and stir.
  6. 8.
    Cover with chicken stock and add bay leaves.
  7. 9.
    Add diced ham.
  8. 10.
    Bring the pot of beans to a boil, then reduce to a simmer.
  9. 11.
    Stir occasionally and adjust seasoning to taste.

Finish

  1. 12.
    Once beans are simmering, put on 4 cups of water to boil.
  2. 13.
    When water is boiling, add 1 cup of rice.
  3. 14.
    Boil rice like pasta for 15 minutes, then strain in a mesh colander.
  4. 15.
    When rice is ready and the juice in the beans is reduced to a nice gravy, return the browned bacon to the beans.
  5. 16.
    Add the splash of cider vinegar and ¼ tsp. sugar and stir.
  6. 17.
    Serve the beans on top of the rice in equal portions (2 spoonfuls of each).