Restaurant Style Red Beans and Rice

Believe it or not the secret to many bean dishes is lard. Red beans are simmered, slowly, with ham hock. Then the beans and meat are processed in a food processor with spices and lard. The beans are reheated and served over rice.

• Preparation Time: 5 mins
• Cooking Time: 1 hr 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 35 mins
• Calories: 517 Calories

Ingredients

• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ pound smoked ham hock
• 2 cups uncooked long-grain rice
• 2 (15 ounce) cans red beans, with liquid
• 1 (15 ounce) can red beans, drained
• 5 ¼ cups water, divided
• ¼ teaspoon ground red pepper
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 5 tablespoons lard

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

In a 2-quart saucepan, combine 1 drained can of bean, 1 undrained can of beans, ham hock and remaining 1 1/4 cup water. Simmer on medium heat for 1 hour, until the meat starts to come away from the bone. Remove from heat and cool until meat can be handled to be removed from bone.

Step 2

Bring 4 cups water to a boil in a saucepan. Add rice and stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Step 3

In a food processor combine meat, beans and the liquid in which they cooked. To the mixture add onion powder, garlic salt, red pepper, salt, black pepper and lard. Process for 4 seconds. Beans should be chopped and the liquid thick.

Step 4

Add the third can of drained beans to the food processor. Process for 1 or 2 seconds, so that most of the beans remain almost whole. Pour mixture back into saucepan and cook slowly on low, stirring often, until heated through.

Step 5

Serve over cooked rice.