Feb 25 2017
Today I am officially ANTIQUE, 75 years old. Yesterday I fixed one of my favorites, red beans and rice with pickled pork. My pickled pork was in the fridge ready to use.
I like to use little red beans instead of the red kidney beans. Most bean recipes I like to soak them over night and do low and slow on the stove top. The recipe called for cooking the beans for an hour then adding all the ingredients for another 1 ½ hours.
I like to do it in steps; after I washed and rinsed the beans I added 2 quarts of water brought to a boil and then simmered for an hour. I sliced about a pound of smoked sausage and browned it in a little olive oil and added it to the pot. After ½ hour I cut up the pickled pork in small pieces and added it to the pot.
In another ½ hour I sautéed the onions, garlic, celery and peppers just until soft and added them to the pot. I added the rest of the ingredients except for the green onions and parsley, I added them after another ½ hour. I let all simmer for another hour.
I served it over rice I had done in my rice cooker and chopped some green onions for on top along with more hot sauce. I had bread and butter on the side. I missed a shot of the pickled pork cut up.
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 I used 3 ribs
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 ½ inch 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 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
Note: I have used country style boneless ribs, they cut up just right. It doesn’t look that good since the pork turns a gray color but it is good.
