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| Red Beans and Rice |
This recipe comes from one of my favorite food blogs, Simply Recipes. My poor husband loves, loves, loves red beans and rice, but in our 20 years of marriage, I think I've only made it one other time. What you see pictured here, I didn't even taste. Have I mentioned I'm a bit of a weirdo? Beans are one of my foods I do NOT eat. It's the texture, along with the reputation they have for giving people gas. I have deep-seated issues about gas that I won't go into here, but suffice it to say, the beans I serve usually come from a can because I am not going to be eating them. Hmm. Sounds really self-centered when I say it like that.
Everyone who DID eat these beans tonight said they loved them, so I think it must be a good recipe. It looked really meaty and yummy... if I liked beans. So there you go. That seems to be all I have to say about this recipe.
Red Beans and Rice
--adapted from Simply Recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound dry small red beans
- 1/2 to 2 pounds meaty ham shanks
- 4 cups water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 cups onion, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
- 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (hmmm...I forgot to add that ingredient to mine)
- 2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
- Tabasco sauce to taste (optional, of course)
- Cooked white rice (from about 3 cups dry rice)
Bring about two quarts of water to a rolling boil in a large pot. Once water has reached a boil, add the dry red beans, turn heat off, and cover. Let soak for two hours. (You can also soak them in cold water overnight, but I wasn't thinking that far ahead.)
After two hours of soaking, drain water from beans. Add the ham shank(s), garlic, onion, celery, bell pepper, water, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender.
Remove ham shank from the pot to a dish. Let cool slightly and then shred the meat away from the bones. Return the meat to the pot, and add the seasoning and Worcestershire sauce (if you can remember it). Cover and simmer for another hour or until the mixture gets creamy and thick. Season to taste with Tabasco sauce.
Serve over rice.
Serves 8.