Jamaican Peas & Rice
Jamaican Peas & Rice: a Jamaican version of red beans and rice vs the Cajun variation.
| Servings | Prep Time |
| 8servings | 25minute |
| Cook Time | Passive Time |
| 3hour | 24hour |
|
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Ingredients
Dried Bean Soaking Ingredients:
- 12ounce beans, dried, Kidneyor Domingo Rojo Bean , San Franciscano Bean or Sangre de Toro Bean
- waterto cover the beans and hydrate them overnight
Ham Stock Ingredients:
- 3tablespoon oil, olive
- 1each onion, yellow, large,peeled and chopped
- 6each garlic, clovespeeled and chopped
- 1/2bunch thyme, fresh
- 1each pork shank or ham hock, smokedasking your butcher to cut into pieces to extract as much marrow as possible and create more surface area
- 12ounce IPAsuch as Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Union Jack IPA or other American IPA
Rice Addition Ingredients:
- 2tablespoon Basic Jamaican Jerk Marinade,recipe HERE
- 2cup rice, white, long grain
- salt, kosherto taste
- peppercorns, Blend (Black, White, Green & Red)
Garnish Ingredients:
- 1bunch cilantro, freshfor garnish
- 1bunch onions, green,for garnish, sliced thin on the bias
- hot sauce,a selection of your favorite flavors and brands
Instructions
Dried Bean Soaking Directions:
- In a large container, add dried beans and water to cover at least 6 inches, letting sit to re-hydrate for 24 hours in the refrigerator.
Ham Stock Directions:
- In a large preheated Dutch oven, over medium heat, add oil and onions. Cook onions for 3 – 5 minutes until transparent. Add garlic and thyme, sautéing for another minute. Next add ham shank or hock and cook on all sides, browning the meat, about 8 – 10 minutes of cooking time. Deglaze the pot with the IPA. Using a spoon, scrape the bottom to remove any caramelized bits, topping with enough cold water to completely cover the ham bones by an inch. Bring mixture to a boil, turning the heat down to low, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, making a ham stock.
Bean Directions:
- Drain the beans from the soaking water and rinse lightly. Add the beans to the stock, cooking for 1 hour 15 minutes. Do not add any salt to the beans until the beans are cooked through or they will not cook properly.
Rice Directions:
- After the beans are fully cooked, add the Basic Jerk Marinade and rice, and season with salt and pepper. Check the level of the stock in comparison to the beans and rice. The rice will absorb most of the liquid. If there is not enough liquid, add enough water to cover the beans and rice by one inch. Bring to a boil, turn the heat down to low, cover with a lid, and cook for 20 minutes. Check liquid level, removing the lid if there is excess stock or keep the lid on and cook for another 10 minutes, until the rice is fully cooked. Check the seasoning, adding more Jerk marinade if more heat is needed for your tastes. Remove the ham shank/hock from the pot; take out the bone and shred the remaining meat. Stir the meat back into the peas and rice and garnish with cilantro leaves and slices of green onion and your favorite hot sauces.
- This dish can be cooled and stored for a few days before serving. If time is available, this dish does get better after 24 hours, infusing all the flavors together.
Recipe Notes
Beer Pairing Tips for Jamaican Cuisine:
With the strong and aggressive flavors from the curry and Jerk, try stronger beers that will stand up to the spices and chilies. Think IPA’s, Double Reds, American Double | Imperial IPA, or even unusual Herb | Spiced Beers. These will stand up to the intensity of the food, rather than be muted by it. Hops will add a nice bitterness that isn’t found in this style of food, adding more complexity to the pairing.