Chef's Table

Red Beans and Union Jack Rice

Red Beans and Union Jack Rice is my Beer Cuisine | Cooking with Beer twist to the Creole | Cajun Cuisine classic, infusing a dark Porter and a hoppy IPA into this side dish or main course staple recipe.

CourseComfort, Family Style, Starch, Sunday Supper
CuisineAmerican, Beer Cuisine, Creole | Cajun
Cooking Beer StyleAmerican India Pale Ale | IPA, American Porter
Pairing Beer StyleAmerican Amber | Red Ale, American Amber | Red Lager, American India Pale Ale | IPA, American Porter, American Stout, Belgian IPA, Chile Beer, English Brown Ale, English India Pale Ale | IPA, English Pale Ale, English Porter, English Stout, Extra Special | Strong Bitter | ESB, Imperial IPA | Double IPA, Irish Red Ale, Robust Porter, Smoked Beer, Smoked Porter
SeasonalFall Seasonal, Spring Seasonal, Summer Seasonal, Winter Seasonal, Year Around Seasonal
Food SectionBeans, Garlic, Onions, Rice, Sausage, Spice Rub, Starch
Cooking MethodBoiling, Braising
BreweryBeer Advocate, Firestone Walker Brewing Co.
KeywordCooking with Beer

Servings	Prep Time
4-8guests	25minute

Cook Time	Passive Time
2 1/2hours	24hours

Servings	Prep Time
4-8guests	25minute

Cook Time	Passive Time
2 1/2hours	24hours

Ingredients

Red Bean Spice Blend Ingredients:

2teaspoon onion, powder
2teaspoon garlic powderpreferably Roast Garlic Powder
2teaspoon pepper, white,freshly ground
2teaspoon oregano, dried,Greek
1teaspoon pepper, cayenne,or more to taste if you like spicy
1teaspoon thyme leaves, dried
3each bay leaves

Red Bean Ingredients:

1pound red beans, dried,such as Rancho Gordo Rio Zape or Domingo Rojo Bean, washed and soaked in water overnight
1/4cup butter, unsalted
2cup onions, yellowpeeled and chopped
2cup celerywashed and chopped
1cup bell pepper, red,seeded and chopped
1cup bell pepper, yellow,seeded and chopped
1/4cup garlic, fresh,peeled and minced
3each bay leavesfresh
1-2tablespoon Cajun Spice Blendrecipe HERE
1pound sausage, andouilleor other smoked sausage like Kielbasa, sliced
1each smoked pork shank | hock
22ounce beer, Porter style,such as Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Walkers Reserve
5cup stock, pork,chicken stock or water

Union Jack Rice Ingredients:

2tablespoon oil, oive
1each onion, yellow, large,peeled and chopped fine
4each garlic cloves, fresh,peeled and minced
2each bay leavespreferably fresh
2cup rice, white, medium grain
24ounce IPAsuch as Firestone Walker Brewing Co. Union Jack IPA
1 1/4cup water or stockchicken, pork or vegetable
1teaspoon salt, kosher

Instructions

Red Bean Directions:

Starting the night before, wash and sort the dried red beans (Rio Zape or Domingo Rojo Bean—try buying them online from Rancho Gordo Heirloom Beans) and place into a container that has enough room for the beans to re-hydrate. 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 onions, celery and peppers (called the “Holy Trinity”) and sauté for 5 – 6 minutes, until transparent. Add the garlic, bay leaves and the 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 more. Add the pork shank | hock (if smoked, have your butcher slice into four pieces each with a band saw), deglaze the pot with the Porter and add the water or stock (pork | chicken | vegetable). 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 1/2 hours.
Remove the shanks from the stock, setting aside in a bowl. Add the drained, re-hydrated 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 take to cook). The liquid level should cover the beans by about 2 inches. Stir the beans periodically to prevent scorching. Meanwhile, remove the meat 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 a Cajun Spice Blend if more heat and spice is needed or desired, adjusting with salt and pepper. Tabasco sauce or another Creole style hot sauce can be added for more spice | heat, too.

Union Jack Rice Ingredients:

Place a medium-size pot with a lid over medium-high heat and add the oil. Once hot, add the onion and sauté until transparent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for about a minute. Add the bay leaf and the rice, and toast the rice for 2 minutes, stirring to coat 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 rice and serve.
To serve, place the Union Jack Rice into a bowl and make a small crater in the center. Ladle the red beans over the top.

Recipe Notes