In New Orleans food was always something to look forward to. Just as Mondays were always Red Beans and Rice, Tuesdays were always Black Beans and Rice. Some believe that the tradition of black beans and rice dates back to the Moors occupation of the Iberian peninsula where the black beans represented the Moors and the white rice the Christians. At some point sausage was introduced to the mix (not shocking), and the rest is history. The beauty of this dish is that it can be either a main dish or a side dish. It compliments just about anything (cajun, creole, Mexican, Spanish, etc.) and can easily be turned into a purée similar to a refried (though not in the literal sense) bean too or, from that point, even dilited with a little broth to thin it and make it into a soup. So many options. So much bold, rich flavor.
I love this pressure cooker method. A LOT. That said, it's not require. You can soak your beans overnight and cook them on the stovetop just as easily. Just allow for 2-3 hours on the stove to be safe. This recipe calls for a proper pressure cooker, but an InstaPot with pressure cooking capabilities would work just fine too. Pick a smoked sausage you'd enjoy on the grill with good smoke flavor. Same for the bacon; strong smoke flavor. We use more Uncontrolled Chain Reaction® than the recipe calls for to bump the heat level just a bit. You can control the end consistency of this dish by letting it simmer a little longer on the stove if you want it a little thicker. You can also cheat and mash a few of the beans and mix them back in to thicken it too.
As always, from our table to yours... #SpiceConfidently #EssenceOfFlavor #ChemistryInTheKitchen #CasaMSpice
— Mike Hernandez
ingredients
For the Beans:
- 1 pound dry black beans
- 1 pound smoked sausage, cut into bite-sized rounds
- 6 cups water
For the Cajun Trinity:
- 12 ounces bacon, cut into very small pieces
- 1 large white onion, diced
- 1 cup celery, diced
- 2 poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, cut into strips, diced
- 8 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Pulling It All Together:
- 1 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Uncontrolled Chain Reaction®
- 1 Tablespoons Casa M Spice Co® Uncontrolled Cattle Drive®
- 2 teaspoons cumin, ground
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste
- cooked white rice to serve over
- Tabasco sauce
FEATURED QUOTE
This recipe calls for a proper pressure cooker, but an InstaPot with pressure cooking capabilities would work just fine too.
- Mike HernandezLET’S GET COOKING
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1.
Put the beans into a bowl and cover with water. Let soak for an hour. Drain the water and add to a pressure cooker or InstaPot with pressure cooking capabilities.
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2.
Add the bacon to a 5 quart thick-bottomed soup pot over high heat. Brown the bacon well. Reduce the heat to medium-high as the bacon browns.
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3.
Add the sausage and water to the pressure cooker, seal it, and bring it to pressure. Once it is hissing, reduce the heat to low to maintain a low hiss and let it cook for 30 minutes.
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4.
Once the 30-minute timer starts on the beans, add the garlic, onion, celery, and poblano chiles to the pot with the bacon and brown them a bit. When the onions start to brown, reduce the heat to low, stirring well every 10 minutes or so and keeping a close eye on them so they don't scorch. This will finish up right as the beans finish up.
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5.
When the beans finish their 30-minute cook time, turn off the heat, safely cool and release the pressure in your cooker.
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6.
Once the pressure cooker is cooled and pressure released, add the apple cider vinegar to the soup pot and use it to get all the caramelized bits off the bottom of the pan. Immediately add the contents of the pressure cooker to the soup pot with the bacon and vegetables.
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7.
Add the Casa M Spice Co® seasonings, bay leaves, and cumin. Mix well and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
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8.
Let this simmer for 30-45 minutes, then remove the bay leaves, and serve over white rice with Tabasco sauce on the side.
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