A Yankee At The Table

For a bunch of Yankees, my family adjusted to southern food pretty well when we moved to Missouri in 1984.  (Note: I said southern food, not St. Louis food.  The appeal of provel cheese still confounds me!)

One of my favorite dishes that my Dad started making after our move was Red Beans and Rice.  He used legendary Cajun chef Justin Wilson's recipe.  It was beautiful in it's simplicity - beans soaked overnight in red wine then slow cooked with ham hocks.

When Todd first asked me to make this dish for him, I excitedly borrowed Dad's cookbook.  Todd seemed perplexed as I prepared the meal, but enjoyed the finished product.  Later, he explained that it was not what he expected because it was nothing like his mother's.

I hear the collective grown from all the women out there who have had their cooking compared to "Mom's".  Being rather young and naive, I didn't take offense to that.  I'm glad I didn't, because he got his Mom's recipe for me to try and it was as wonderful as the on my Dad used, but completely different!

It is a great dish to make for a pot luck dinner and a must for Mardi Gras.  Also, with a few simple changes, you can prepare this as a vegan dish (just for you Cristin Winslow Murphy!)

Red Beans and Rice

• 1 lb. dry red kidney beans
• 1/2 lb. salt pork
• 3 c. chopped onions
• 1 c. chopped green onions
• 1 c. chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tbsp. garlic salt
• 1/4 tsp.  dried oregano
• 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
• 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp hot sauce
• 1 8 oz. can tomato sauce
• 1 to 2 lbs. smoked sausage

(FOR VEGAN VERSION: Replace the salt pork with 3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil and omit the smoked sausage.  Follow the rest of the recipe the same.)

1. Rinse beans and check for rocks.  Cover beans with water (about two inches over the beans) cover and soak overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Add pork to the beans and bring up to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer (with cover vented) for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Add remaining ingredients, except for sausage, and cook for 1 hour.  
4. Remove salt pork and add sausage.  Add more water if the beans seem to have soaked it up.  Simmer for another 45 minutes.  
5. Serve over rice with a big bottle of hot sauce on the table!