Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs dried red kidney beans
- 8 strips thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 lbs andouille sausage, cut into rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Green onions, sliced
- Hot sauce for serving
- Steamed white rice
Soak the Beans Overnight
In a large bowl, combine the kidney beans with 2 Tbsp kosher salt and 8 cups of water.
Stir until the salt dissolves completely; this helps soften the bean skins.
Leave at room temperature for at least 8 hours, up to 16 hours. Drain and rinse before cooking.
Render the Bacon and Brown the Sausage
Heat a 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-low heat and add the diced bacon.
Cook for ~8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is crispy and all the fat renders out.
Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a bowl, but leave all that fat in the pot.
Bump the heat to medium and add the sliced andouille. Cook for ~5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the sausage gets good browning on multiple sides.
Transfer the sausage to the bowl with the bacon using the slotted spoon.
Cook the Holy Trinity Until Soft
Add the diced onion, celery, and bell pepper to the same pot with all that rendered fat.
Cook for ~8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables start to soften and pick up some color.
The onions should be translucent and everything should smell really good.
Add the minced garlic, smoked paprika, thyme, and cayenne; cook for 2 more minutes until fragrant.
Add Everything Back and Simmer for 2 Hours
Return the bacon and sausage to the pot along with any accumulated juices.
Pour in the chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom – that’s flavor.
Add the drained beans, ham hock, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce.
Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low and cover. Cook for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
The beans should be getting tender but not falling apart yet.
Finish Uncovered Until Creamy
Remove the lid and continue simmering for another 30-45 minutes.
You’re looking for the beans to break down slightly and the liquid to thicken into a creamy consistency.
Pull out the ham hock and shred any meat off the bone – discard the bones and fat, but add the meat back to the pot.
Remove the bay leaves.
Season with salt, black pepper, and sherry vinegar to taste. The vinegar brightens everything up.
Serve over buttery white rice with sliced green onions and hot sauce on the side.
Louisiana Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
Ingredients (~9 servings)
- 1 1/2 lbs dried red kidney beans
- 8 strips thick cut bacon, diced
- 1 1/2 lbs andouille sausage, cut into rounds
- 1 large yellow onion, diced
- 4 ribs celery, diced
- 1 large green bell pepper, diced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
- 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
- 3 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 large smoked ham hock
- 2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
- Kosher salt
- Black pepper
- Green onions, sliced
- Hot sauce for serving
- Steamed white rice
Instructions
- Soak kidney beans overnight in salted water, then drain and rinse.
- Cook diced bacon in Dutch oven until crispy, remove bacon but keep fat.
- Brown andouille sausage in same pot, then set aside.
- Sauté onion, celery, and bell pepper in bacon fat for 8-10 minutes.
- Add garlic and spices, cook 2 minutes.
- Return bacon and sausage to pot with chicken stock, beans, ham hock, bay leaves, and Worcestershire sauce.
- Simmer covered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
- Uncover and cook 30-45 minutes until beans are creamy.
- Remove ham hock, shred meat, and return to pot.
- Remove bay leaves and season with salt, pepper, and sherry vinegar.
- Serve over white rice with green onions and hot sauce.