New Orleans style Pinto beans and rice

andouille sausage

🥗Healthier: turkey sausage

💰Cheaper: smoked sausage

Turkey sausage reduces fat while maintaining flavor.

pinto beans

🥗Healthier: black beans

💰Cheaper: canned beans

Canned beans save time and are budget-friendly.

Sort through 1 pound of pinto beans, removing any broken or discolored beans.

Add the sorted pinto beans to a large 8-quart pot and cover with 10 cups of water. Cover with a lid and let soak for 2 to 4 hours.

In a separate large 8-quart pot, add 2 pounds of smoked neck bones and 2 1/2 quarts of water. Cover and let simmer for 1 hour.

After 1 hour, remove the neck bones and let them cool for 15 to 20 minutes.

Strain the soaked pinto beans and set aside.

Remove 5 1/2 cups of the soaking water and discard it. Replace it with 5 1/2 cups of the pork stock from the neck bones.

In the large pot with the pork stock, add the pinto beans, neck bones, 2 cups of chopped yellow onion, 1 1/2 cups of chopped celery, 1 cup of chopped green bell pepper, and 3 cloves of pressed garlic. Stir to combine.

Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1/4 teaspoon of black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon of Tony Sasser's Creole seasoning, 1 teaspoon of Chef Paul Prudhomme's Magic seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated onion, 1/2 teaspoon of granulated garlic, and 5 bay leaves. Stir again.

Cover the pot and let simmer for 1 hour and 10 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes.

After 1 hour and 10 minutes, add the chopped smoked sausage and stir. Cover and let simmer for an additional 15 minutes.

Once done, turn off the heat and add 3 tablespoons of salted butter, stirring until melted. Let cool for 30 to 45 minutes before serving.

For the rice, in a medium-sized 4-quart pot, add 2 quarts of water and 1 1/2 cups of jasmine rice. Stir and let simmer for 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

After 7 minutes, strain the rice and rinse with cold water. Return the rice to the pot and cover, letting it sit for 15 to 25 minutes before serving.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: