Feb 22 2016
I didn’t have anything planned to cook today so I had plenty of time to pickle some pork for using in red beans and rice. We also had a jar of Claussen’s dill pickles used up so I boiled some eggs to pickles in the juice. The jar will hold 5 to 6 eggs according to their size. I let them set 4 to 5 days in the fridge and they are ready to eat.
I went to my butchers this AM to get some lard and the pork. He cut me up some pork butt, about a pound and a half. I got some more of his Andouille sausage too, I have 2 that I smoked and froze to use in the red beans and rice later this week.
Using the pickled pork is an old recipe and a lot of the Louisiana cooks swear by it. Ever since I tried it they’re not as good without it. The recipe supposedly came from an old Cajun cook. The recipe follows in case some of you want to try it. I will probably make mine Friday or Sunday.
Smokin Don
Recipe:
Red Beans and Rice with Pickled Pork
1 lb red beans, soaked overnight
1 TBS Worcestershire sauce
1 med. onion, peeled & chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
7 cloves garlic, chopped fine
½ cup chopped parsley
1 rib celery chopped
½ cup catsup
1 green pepper chopped
2 tsp tobasco, I use Cholula hot sauce
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme
Salt & pepper to taste
1 lb. Smoked sausage, sliced
1 lb. pickled pork cut in 1” cubes
Cooked rice
Drain the beans. Put in 6 qt. heavy pot and add 3 qts. Fresh water. Cover & simmer for one hour, or until the beans are tender. Stir & check to make sure beans are covered with water while simmering. Add rest of ingredients, except the rice; add water to cover if needed. Partially cover & simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hrs or until the liquid thickens. The recipe doesn’t say so but I like to brown the smoked sausage & pickled pork a little before adding it to the pot cut the pickled pork a little smaller. Some recipes call for red kidney beans but I like the smaller red beans. Add more tobasco if you like it hotter! Serve over cooked rice.
Pickled Pork
2 lbs. boneless pork butt cut in 2” cubes
½ cup mustard seed (2 or 3 TBS. are enough)
1 TBS celery seeds
2 TBS tobasco
1 qt white vinegar
1 bay leaf
1 TBS kosher salt
12 pepper corns
6 cloves garlic, cracked
1 pinch of pink salt (optional)
Combine all the ingredients except the pork in a stainless steel pan & boil for 3 min. Cool & place in a refrigerator container ( plastic, glass, or stainless ) add pork. Stir to remove the bubbles. Cover & refrigerate for 3 days. Every since I had red beans & rice with the pickled pork it’s not as good without the pork! I have never tried the pink salt in the pickled pork but plan to soon.
Note: I have used country style ribs, they cut up just right.
