Louis Armstrong’s Red Beans and Rice
Ingredients
4 cups dried red kidney beans (about 1 pound 10 ounces), preferably Camellia brand
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound pickled pork or pickled ham hocks, diced
1 medium onion, chopped, plus more for serving
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar), plus more for serving
1 thyme sprig or pinch of fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper
2 cups diced lean ham (about 10 ounces), or 1 ham bone
Cooked rice, fried ham slices or country sausage, and warm French bread, for serving.
Preparation
Pick over beans and rinse well. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover. When ready to cook, drain off all water.
In a heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Brown the diced pickled pork, about 5 minutes, then add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.
Stir in the beans, ketchup, vinegar, thyme and hot sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with fresh cold water, making sure there is enough water for the beans to cook thoroughly (at least 2 inches of water above the beans).
Once the water has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are semicooked, 45 to 60 minutes. Mash about 1 cup full of beans and return to the pot. Add the diced ham or ham bone and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the beans are thoroughly cooked and the sauce is rich and creamy, 2 to 3 hours. (If at any point the beans seem dry, add water, 1 cup at a time, until creamy.)
Serve with fluffy white rice and garnish with fried ham slices or fried country sausage. Also serve chopped onions, and hot sauce on the side and lots of hot French bread.
Keywords: Main Southern
