Red Beans & Rice

[Magicman]

Since Red Beans & Rice is thought of as being a dish closely associated with our coastal region, today was a good day to enjoy them.  Dried red kidney beans with some cajun seasoning and sausage served over rice with a side of yellow cornbread. 


 
There is not much any better than that.

[thurlow]

Mighty fine, mighty fine...........though I usually consider it a "hearty" meal enjoyed better in the Wintertime.

[okmulch]

I had that last Friday also! My friends from Louisiana made a big ol pot of red beans with  andouille sausage and we put it over rice with some home made jalopeno pepper slices from the garden on top. YUM YUM!

[Roxie]

Oh, that cornbread looks wonderful!   8)

[Magicman]

Yes Roxie, Pat is a cornbread making "machine".  Always with yellow cornmeal, moist, not sweet, black iron skillet, and her own recipe.   

[DanG]

That sounds like my kind of cornbread!  It's an awful disappointment to bite into a piece of cornbread and have it taste more like pound cake.

[beenthere]

I'd really like to be sittin down to some of that cornbread with a plateful of that red beans and rice -- rat now!!
And ditto on the 'no' sweet recipe.

[Norm]

Okay let's educate me on how you fix the beans and rice. Looks awesome but I've never had it before.

[Buck]

Norm, get ya bag of dry beans and soak them overnight in water. Just keep the beans covered in water as they will soak up the water for a while. I like a lb of sausage to a lb of beans, We put the beans in a good crock pot early in the morning and rumble them all day on high so they make a their own gravy. Season to taste. I like onions cooked in mine but many like raw onion slices while eating. Cornbread or hush puppies on the side and you've god a meal fit to eat.  We cut up the sausage into bite size pieces brown them and add them (and the juices) to the pot. Some just put it in and slow cook it. Rice isnt too bad. Instructions on the package will get you there. ;)

[metalspinner]

Oh, man!  That looks goooood.

We save a big ol' ham bone to season the beans as they cook. My momma said you have to use Camellia brand kidney beans.  I always stock up when I'm home. :D

[Magicman]

Pat says "that's right about the Camellia brand beans".  But she also says to save the hambone for soup.  Red beans gets sausage.   (There is a recipe on the back of the package.)

There is really not much to a red bean recipe:

First, rinse the beans, and then cover them with water in a sauce pan.  Add diced onion and anything else that you wish.  Some folks use Rotel tomatoes, but she does not.  While cooking, add water as needed.  Season with salt/pepper/Cajun seasoning to taste.

Cook sliced link sausage, drain, and add to the beans about 30 minutes before serving.

Cook until the beans are tender but not falling completely apart.  The bean juice will make a nice gravy when served over rice.

[Roxie]

Yep, Pat makes her cornbread just like I do!  There is even a dedicated cast iron skillet for only cornbread.  I like to heat shortening or lard in the pan in the oven and then pour the batter into the hot skillet.  It makes a crusty texture on the outside.  Heaven!   

[Magicman]

I asked her about her cornbread recipe, and was quickly informed that there was not a recipe.  She just makes it.  Our DIL tried to watch her and write stuff down, but it still did not work because nothing is "measured".

[Norm]

So the dried bean is a kidney bean? I'm familiar with pinto, navy, and such but wanted to make sure I buy the right variety. I'll look for the camellia brand, are they a dried kidney bean?

[Magicman]

Yes, a dried red kidney bean.


 
How 'bout a shot of the beans with the reply in the background?   

[Magicman]

If your store does not carry that bean, let me know.  UPS runs every day.   ;D

[ashes]

Could I ask what is so special about that particular brand of bean?

I eat beans often in soups and like Magic showed in the original post, but I can't recall ever seeing that brand of bean. To be honest I never payed too much attention. I figured a beans a bean, and just grab a bag of what looks good. Been partial to black-eyed peas lately.

[metalspinner]

Could I ask what is so special about that particular brand of bean?

Because that's what Momma uses. :D

If your gonna have Magicman drop you a box, get some white beans, too. (Camellia Baby Lima's)

[WDH]

Hard to argue with Momma.

Cornbread  8).

[thecfarm]

That cornbread looks some good. Good job Mrs. MagicMan. :D

[DanG]

Ray, did you know that cornbread is just a different way of cooking grits?  ;D

[thecfarm]

Don't tell me I've been eating grits for almost 45 years.     

[Norm]

Ray has now been forever scarred by that knowledge. :D

Thanks Lynn, a picture is worth a thousand words! A couple of more questions, how much liquid to a pound of beans in the crock pot? Also would you use any other seasoning with it other than a chopped up onion and what's the preferred sausage to use?

Oops one more, anything about the rice other than must make it in my rice cooker?

[Raider Bill]

Rice and beans is a regular 3 meal a day staple with my 2nd ex wife's family who is from the tropics. Sometimes you got meat sometimes not. For breakfast they would drop a egg on top.
Not being a grit eater I like mine with a nice crusty Italian bread.
Their preferred choice was Goya brand red beans

[Magicman]

   Whoa, we now have a closet grit eater who is having trouble coming out of the closet.  Take a deep breath and repeat; "my name is Ray and I have eaten grits."   ;D

Your rice will be fine.  Concerning the bean brand, my answer is 'bout what metalspinner said.  Camille brand is a New Orleans product.

The beans soak up plenty of water, and you need your bean gravy.  The package recipe says 8-10 cups of water per 1 lb. of beans.  Buck soaks them overnight which will soften the beans and reduce the cooking time.  That works best if you know ahead of time, but in yesterday's instance Pat decided yesterday morning what we were having for lunch.  Pat uses a stovetop rather than a crockpot.


 
Tony Chachere's is a very good cajun seasoning for just about everything.  Tony's, salt and onions are the only seasoning that she used.


 
This is smoked deer sausage, but any similar sausage cut into bite sizes would work.