Dinner

Red Beans and Monumental Rice is for Dinner.

Red Beans and Monumental Rice takes several minutes to prepare.

Red Beans and Monumental Rice takes several minutes to cook.

Red Beans and Monumental Rice makes 8 servings.

The ingredients for Red Beans and Monumental Rice are:

Cajun Spice Blend (make as little or as much as you like):
4 parts Hungarian paprika
3 parts oregano
2 parts kosher salt
1 part cayenne pepper
1 part onion powder
1 part garlic powder
1 part white pepper
1 part black pepper
1 part celery salt
1 part thyme, freshly chopped
1/8 part bay leaves, dried

Red Bean Spice Blend:
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp white pepper
2 tsp oregano, dried
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp thyme, freshly chopped
3 each bay leaves

Red Beans Ingredients:
1 lb red beans (Rio Zape or Kidney), washed and soaked in water overnight
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
2 cups onions, yellow, peeled and chopped
2 cups celery, chopped
1 cup bell pepper, yellow, seeded and chopped
1 cup bell pepper, red, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup garlic, peeled and chopped
3 each bay leaves
1-2 tbsp Cajun Spice Blend (see above)
1 lb andouille sausage (or other smoked sausage), sliced
2 each pork shank or hock, preferably smoked
22 oz beer, Porter style, such as Port City Brewing Company's Porter
5 cups water

Monumental Rice Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil, light virgin
1 each onion, yellow, peeled and chopped fine
2 tbsp garlic cloves, peeled and minced
2 each bay leaves
2 cups rice, white, medium grain
24 oz beer, IPA style, such as Port City Brewing Company's Monumental IPA
1 1/4 cups water
1 tsp kosher salt

Here is how you make Red Beans and Monumental Rice:

Cajun Spice Blend Directions:Start by figuring out approximately how much of the spice blend needs to be made. Then, use either a teaspoon, tablespoon, 1/4 cup to a full cup as your base measurement for equal parts. Measure out the spices and place them into a mixing bowl. Mix all the spices together using a whisk, until they're evenly combined. Place the spice blend into a sealable jar and keep out of the light, in a cool area, for up to 4 months.Red Bean Directions:Start the night before, wash and sort the dried red beans and place into a container that has enough room for the beans to rehydrate. Cover with plenty of cold water and set aside. The next day, rinse the beans and set aside until ready for cooking.In a medium to large stock pot, add the butter and place over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the notions, celery, and peppers, and saut? for 5-6 minutes, until transparent. Add the garlic, bay leaves, and some of the Cajun Spice Blend, and cook another 3-4 minutes Add the sliced sausage and lightly brown the meat for 3-4 minutes. Add the sliced sausage and lightly brown the meat for 3-4 minutes more. Add the pork shank (if smoked, have your butcher slice into four pieces each with a band saw), deglaze the pot with the porter and add the water. Bring to a simmer and turn the heat down to medium-low. This will make a pork stock for the beans to cook in. Let the stock cook until the pork shanks are tender, about 1.5 hours. Remove the shanks from the stock, setting aside in a bowl. Add the drained, rehydrated beans to the pot and cook until they are tender, about 30-40 minutes, depending on how old the beans are (the older they are, the longer they will take to cook). The liquid level should cover the beans any about 2 inches. Stir the beans periodically to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, remove the mean from the shank bone and shred it. Add a half-cup of water if needed, to fully cook the beans and prevent scorching. When the beans are tender, add the shank meat back to the beans. Season with more Cajun Spice Blend if more heat and spice is needed or desired, adjusting with salt and pepper. Tabasco sauce or another Creole hot sauce can be added for more spice, too.To serve, place the Monumental Rice into a bowl and make a small crater in the center. Ladle the red beans over top.Monumental Rice Directions:Place a medium-sized pot with a lid over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onion and saut? until transparent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and saut? for about a minute. Add the bay leaf and the rice, and toast the rice for 2 minutes, stirring to eat it evenly with oil. Add the beer and water, bringing the mixture to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover the pot with a lid, leaving a tiny crack to allow steam to be released. Cook the rice until tender, about 25 minutes. Once all the moisture is absorbed into the rice, remove from the heat and let rest for 5 minutes, covered. Using a fork, fluff the rice and serve.Serving Size: Makes 8 servings as a side-dish, or 4 servings as a main course.Number of Servings: 8Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user VAHOMEBREW81.

The nutritional information for Red Beans and Monumental Rice is:

• Servings Per Recipe: 8
• Amount Per Serving
• Calories: 479.3

• Total Fat: 17.4 g
• Cholesterol: 55.5 mg
• Sodium: 365.1 mg
• Total Carbs: 36.2 g
• Dietary Fiber: 6.2 g
• Protein: 14.7 g