Red Beans and Rice w/Andouille


 
Tried this recipe last night (finally) and it turned out very good. A keeper.
The only thing I question is the soaking of the beans in wine. I did so (for about 8 hours), and could tell no difference in the finished dish (as compared to what has been my main recipe for RB&R I've used in the past, which is without a wine soak). Perhaps they needed longer?
I ended up putting in the whole bottle of wine into the soak because very little was left after measuring out three cups.
In hindsight, next time perhaps I'll just soak the beans in water, and use the wine as part of the cooking liquid. This recipe caught my eye because of the addition of wine, which in my mind I can see as a tasty addition to this dish.
I found I did not have to add any liquid at all during the cook, so I'm thinking this may be the way to go for what I'm envisioning.
The recipe I've been using has a few more (albeit non-traditional) additions as far as herbs and spices are concerned, but I do think the simpler mix of thyme, bay, white pepper and salt is more in line with the flavor profile of the RB&R I enjoyed while in New Orleans.
Anyhow, great recipe!!!

Thanks
 
Soak longer. The beans should completely (or nearly so) absorb the wine. The flavor is definitely there.
 
I will just use the whole bottle during the soak next time. The flavor note was there in my end result/experiment with the recipe.

It's not prominent in the finished dish though. A subtle note. There are a lot of other flavors at play - most of them stronger.

It will also depend on the wine used - if you want a more prominent note I would suggest using something stronger. Even if it deviates from the recipe - heck make it yours
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Hmm, wonder what a nice porter or hoppy IPA would do...
 
Hmm, wonder what a nice porter or hoppy IPA would do...
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Funny you say that, Ray, because my recipe for RB&R uses beer as part of the cooking liquid. I usually use a lager, but I can see where your thoughts would fit in.
I never thought of wine...just one of those things...that's why this recipe caught my eye...still, quite a good recipe and the results were very good regardless of the short soak....next time I'll soak longer and maybe add some wine afterwards as well.
 
Tim Y said:
When I fix red beans & rice, I like to cook the andouille into the mix as well.....
But when I was in New Orleans this last summer, I had this dish at two places & both served the sausage on the side.....
Anybody from New Orleans with an opinion on the technique of this dish?
I think cooking the sausage with the beans adds more flavor, but apparently there is a tradition to having it on the side.
Just wondering....thanks.
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Tim,

I live in the New Orleans area and I say why limit yourself? I do both. I add sausage (cut crosswise into coins) to the red beans about 45 min before the end of cooking and roast some sausage in the over to serve on the side of the plated dish...

Regards,

John
 
Made this tonight....followed it as described, and turned out awesome. I like a little more spice, so added some cayenne pepper and some Texas Pete hot sauce.... Thanks Kevin for sharing... Great for a winter dinner...
 
Made this again yesterday - Thanks Kevin for a great recipe.

I made some minor changes this time around.

Left out the green bell and doubled the red.
Added a little more celery as I like that more than green bell for flavor.
The wine soak is key. Half absorbed overnight this time so used the "bean wine" along with water for additional liquid before cooking down.
Used Dartagnon andouille this time, spendy but excellent, no need to remove the skin. Flaovred and aged nicely.
I also added a 3rd hock. After all cooked through I break down the hock meat and added it directly to the bean mix.
Small red beans are definitely better (flavor/texture)

I also simmered some additional andouille links (fresh andouille) early on in the mix and pulled them when cooked through.
They made a great lunch/side. I just poked them with a knife in a couple places is all.

Just incredibly good as originally written though! It's quickly become a favorite.

And everything fits perfect in the #9 DO.
 
Tim Y said:
When I fix red beans & rice, I like to cook the andouille into the mix as well.....
But when I was in New Orleans this last summer, I had this dish at two places & both served the sausage on the side.....
Anybody from New Orleans with an opinion on the technique of this dish?
I think cooking the sausage with the beans adds more flavor, but apparently there is a tradition to having it on the side.
Just wondering....thanks.
Click to expand...

Lots of older people think if you DO insist on using sausage, that you not cook it with the beans but rather cook and serve on the side as the beans have a better flaor. Once I read this many years ago (I'm born and raised in N.O.), I tried it and I have to agree. Real Creole beans do not contain sausage. I make mine with a smoked pork shank. I've got no problem serving sausage on the side, but I never cook the sausage with the beans!
 
based my recipe on the red beans and rice I had served to me at Buddy Holmes Soul Food, in New Orleans, back in the late 70s. Holmes used a bit sweeter wine than I do. Your choice.
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I think the place you're thinking of was called Buster Holmes.
 
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I've not pre-soaked beans of any type for many a year. I don't even do the "quick soak" method often shown on the bag of red beans. Not soaking extends the cooking time only by about 10 to 15 minutes so it's unnecessary as far as things go. I NEVER make beans without a ham bone or without smoked ham shanks (not hocks) that I started seeing in the store about 2 years ago, which was great as I try to avoid baking a ham in the oven here in N.O. in the summer -- it's too darn hot. Even though we adore andouille, we usually use only smoked sausage on the side (tastes so much better if the sausage is not cooked with the beans, as weird as this may sound).
 
Always good to have notes on regional tradition - thanks for posting. I definitely get the "sausage on the side" though and how it can change up the authentic dish. Either way I'm eating it and like this recipe :)

In general, not to associate directly to "authentic N.O. red beans and rice" I treat the beans depending on what I want to do. Sometimes I pre-soak, quick soak, wine soak, pressure cooker, etc. I don't have an "all or nothing" kind of method. Depends on what I'm doing. I do have to say though that wine soaking beans adds a really nice touch/flavor IMHO. Not specific to any recipe though.
 
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I always assumed the reason for serving sausage on the side rather than mixed in was that a lot of these dishes were made on a budget and "unlimited sausage" was not an option**. For a given amount of sausage you get a lot more taste if you serve on the side (or add to the beans at the last minute) rather than cooking it with the beans.

** now that I've said it that way, unlimited sausage doesn't sound like a great idea from a health POV either :D
 
We put a little sausage in early to let it flavor the beans as they slow cook, but we find that it can leave the sausage mushy with little flavor left in it after a long, slow, simmer. We save most of the sausage and add it in the last 30 minutes or so.

Tip. Put a jar of Pace Picante sauce in the beans. It sounds crazy, but it adds a lot of good, subtle, flavors. I discovered this when I was in school and trying to jazz up the canned Blue Runner brand beans. It worked, so I carried it over to real beans when I started cooking.
 
Tim Y said:
When I fix red beans & rice, I like to cook the andouille into the mix as well.....
But when I was in New Orleans this last summer, I had this dish at two places & both served the sausage on the side.....
Anybody from New Orleans with an opinion on the technique of this dish?
I think cooking the sausage with the beans adds more flavor, but apparently there is a tradition to having it on the side.
Just wondering....thanks.
Click to expand...

Tim I do both. I typically render the sausage and hocks for a few minutes to gain enough fat to sauté the trinity. I remove the sausage and hocks, sauté the trinity, and return the hocks before adding my beans and liquids. About an hour before the end of the cook - I add the sausage pieces back in. If the RBR is to be a main dish, I roast some sausage links (I like Manda Smoked) to serve along side. If the RBR is to be a side dish I usually don't serve any sausage on the side...

Regards,

John
 
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r benash said:
Always good to have notes on regional tradition - thanks for posting. I definitely get the "sausage on the side" though and how it can change up the authentic dish. Either way I'm eating it and like this recipe :)

In general, not to associate directly to "authentic N.O. red beans and rice" I treat the beans depending on what I want to do. Sometimes I pre-soak, quick soak, wine soak, pressure cooker, etc. I don't have an "all or nothing" kind of method. Depends on what I'm doing. I do have to say though that wine soaking beans adds a really nice touch/flavor IMHO. Not specific to any recipe though.
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Ray,

One of the things that makes NOLA great is the diversity we share. We have so many cultural traditions that blend into our lives (our cooking, our conversations, our music, our faith, etc.) that the end results of nearly everything is better. There is no one 'right way' to cook RBR (or almost any other local cuisine). Enjoy them the way you and your family like them!

Regards,

John
 
Hey John - you strike true. Now, if I could only find consistently good andouille... the version I used in last recipe a couple weeks ago was bought in a pinch during the snowstorm, so not going to do that Smithfield stuff again. It wasn't horrible, but it was fairly tasteless and didn't add the flavoring in the end. All of my other sources were out unfortunately. I probably need to just keep some in the freezer.
 
Ray,

Sometimes I buy meat (Boudin, Andoulli, & Smoked Sausage) from Don's Specialty Meats in Scott, LA. They make a good quality product and it is priced pretty reasonably IMO (a bit more than the grocery). I drive through there on business a few times a year and stock up. I keep the meat in the freezer until I get the urge. You can order sausage from them and have it shipped FedEx. This might be an option for you. I prefer smoked sausage (especially alligator sausage) in my RBR but Andoulli is good too (whatever paddles your pirogue buddy)...

Regards,

John
 
I think I can probably get good stuff from a local grass feed beef, lamb, goat provider that I have used for belly, beef and pork lately. Need to check with them. I have found really good results from shipping from out of state providers but thing is - is the shipping. If I can't find a good source would definitely take these folks up, so thanks for the pointer.

Wait do you mean pirogue or perogie :)
 
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