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Red Beans and Rice

Alton Brown

Recipe courtesy Alton Brown, 2008

Show: Good EatsEpisode: American Classics: Creole in a Bowl

Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (45)

  • Cook Time:

    2 hr 0 min

  • Level:

    --

  • Yield:

    8 servings

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Times:

Prep
1 hr 0 min
Inactive Prep
72 hr 0 min
Cook
2 hr 0 min
Total:
75 hr 0 min
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Ingredients

For red beans:

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 medium green bell peppers, chopped
  • 3 stalks celery, chopped
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 12 ounces pickled pork, cut into 1-inch pieces, recipe follows
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 2 quarts water
  • 1 pound red kidney beans, rinsed and picked of debris

For rice:

  • 3 cups water
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups long-grain rice
  • 1/2 to 1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Place the vegetable oil in a 7-quart Dutch oven and set over medium-high heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, salt and pepper to the pot. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the pickled pork, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil, approximately 6 to 8 minutes. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened to your liking. If you prefer an even creamier texture, mash some of the beans with a potato masher.

Prepare rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking the beans. Place the water into an electric kettle and bring to a boil. While the water is coming to a boil place the butter into a 3-quart saucepan, set over medium heat. Once the butter begins to bubble, add the rice and stir to combine. Add the salt and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Carefully pour the water over the rice and stir to combine. Decrease the heat to the lowest setting, cover, and cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve the beans over the rice.

Pickled Pork:

  • 2 cups water
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 1/4 cup kosher salt
  • 6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
  • 2 tablespoons hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon celery seed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
  • 8 ounces ice
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh boneless pork butt, cut into 2-inch cubes

Combine all of the ingredients except the ice and the pork in a 2-quart non-reactive saucepan, set over high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and maintain a simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the ice and stir. Place the pork into a 1-gallon zip top bag and add the cooled pickling liquid. Remove as much air as possible; seal the bag and place in the refrigerator for at least 3 days, turning the bag occasionally. Use within 2 weeks or remove from the pork from the brine and freeze.

Yield: about 1 1/2 pounds

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Read more Comments & Reviews (45)

Comments & Reviews

  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Barbara Elgin, IL 02-02-2010

    Flag

    Sounds like the real deal but I have one question. . .

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Not having made red beans and rice or pickled pork before, I am assuming that the brine mixture should be discarded after... pickling, not added to the beans along with the pork, right? Thanks. . .Read more
  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Christie Sherwood, AR 01-30-2010

    Flag

    I'm suddenly very popular

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I made this yesterday, while we have snow and ice, and posted the results on Facebook. Several of my friends are wanting to... brave the ice and come over! All joking aside, it really is incredible. It wouldn't be the same without the pickled pork, which I hesitated to make but I'm glad I did. Soooooo good. I did this in the crock pot on high for about 4 hours, then on low for another 4 or 5. This is after soaking the beans the night before, which I can't imagine not doing, for both time and safety reasons. If you do the crock thing, make sure it gets to boiling and you skim the top b/c of the toxin thing. (Ooops, I forgot to skim...still alive.) Anyone else notice that the amount of pickled pork to pickle is different than the amount used in the bean recipe? Many folks are saying it was meat heavy, but maybe they used the whole batch. Not sure that was intentional. Anyway, all around awesome! Thanks Alton!Read more
  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Rebecca Clawson, MI 01-18-2010

    Flag

    Amazing!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    I was a little hesitant about the pickled pork part, but it was so simple! The only substitution I made was using brown rice... and I omitted the thyme (I just don't like it and didn't have any) but what a surprisingly delicious dish! I always worry about making large servings like this because it's just me but I've frozen some, gave some to friends, and everyone said the same thing, it's delicious! Thanks AB!Read more
  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Jill Louisburg, NC 01-17-2010

    Flag

    Memories....

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Like many others have commented here, this was my first attempt at RB&R. I saw the show and it brought back fond memories of... our New Orleans vacation that I just had to make this! It was so good! I followed the recipe to the letter and found that like others have said, it needs to cook a little longer than 1 1/2 hours. The beans were a little chewy for me so I will definitely cook an hour longer when I make this again. This is a keeper and worth every minute that it takes to make it! As for the rice, it was PERFECT! I never heard of cooking rice this way but I will never cook it any other way again! There is a wonderful aroma from toasting it, and adding the boiling water cuts down the cooking time and the rice comes out perfect! I was so shocked! Thanks, AB!!!! Read more
  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Aurora Cutler Bay, FL 01-06-2010

    Flag

    NOLA Style

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    Love this recipe, if you like a little heat and to save some time try using Andouille Sausage as a substitute to the Picked... Pork. Bon Apetit!Read more
  • recipe Red Beans and Rice
    Leshele Chicago, IL 12-23-2009

    Flag

    Awesome!

    Rated: 5 stars out of 5
    My first time doing any of your recipe's....and it turned out awesome! These red beans and rice to rival my favorite New... Orleans play mom's dish....she uses pigs feet and I prefer smoke sausages...lol. Thanks and for the holiday's please refer to me as Gina! LOL Merry Christmas ya'll!Read more
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