Your Leftover Ham Bone Is Destined For Red Beans And Rice

Your Leftover Ham Bone Is Destined For Red Beans And Rice

The time between Christmas and New Year’s is a strange one. Things feel oddly festive and slightly depressing at the same time, I never know what day it is, and I am so, so tired of food. Not only am I tired of the holiday leftovers in my fridge, I’m tired of thinking about food in general. Obviously, the solution to my food-related problems is more food, and that food is red beans and rice.

Planning elaborate meals is such a big part of the holidays, and the only thing I want right now is a big pot of something comforting that is easily shoveled into my mouth. Red beans and rice is all of that, plus it’s a great vehicle for your leftover holiday ham, bone and all. It can also be made entirely in the Instant Pot.

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Like most dishes comprised of beans and rice, this one is deceptively simple, with a few non-negotiables. You need kidney beans and rice, yes, but you also need the holy trinity of bell peppers (I like red, but some insist on green), onion, and celery, as well as some sort of pork product, and some Cajun spices. The beans are cooked with their flavorful friends until they start to fall apart. Then they’re served on, under, or mixed into rice for a warming, simple dish that will give you the strength to drag yourself through the last part of this hellish trip around the sun.

Cooking the beans in a slow cooker means you don’t have to soak them, and it means you can get fall-apart-tender tender beans that are infused with porky ham bone goodness in about an hour and a half. Once the beans are done, you can cook the rice right in the pot liquor, because using water when you could use ham-bean broth would be very silly indeed. (You will have excess pot liquor after all is said and done; I suggest you save it for future rice.) To make this batch of warming wonderment, you will need:

  • The bone from your leftover ham, plus about half a pound of ham meat (If you’re all out of meat, grab some Tasso, or andouille sausage, or omit the meat entirely if you want.)

  • 1 pound of dried kidney beans, rinsed and picked

  • 4 tablespoons of salted butter

  • 1 large onion yellow onion, diced

  • 2 stalks or celery, diced

  • 2 bell peppers of your preferred colour, diced

  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced

  • 1 tablespoon cajun spice, such as Tony Chachere’s

  • 1 teaspoon garlic powder

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 6 cups of water (or more if needed to cover the beans)

  • 2 cups white rice

  • 1 tablespoon fresh chopped parsley

  • Diced green onion for garnish

Remove as much meat from your ham bone as you can and set it aside. I you don’t have half a pound of ham, supplement with some andouille or Tasso, or just don’t worry about it — the beans are the star. Rinse and pick your beans, then set those aside too. Using the “Sauté” function, melt the butter in the pot and heat it until it’s nice and foamy. Add the onion, celery, and bell pepper, and cook until the vegetables are soft (about five minutes). Add the garlic, and cook for a couple of minutes until fragrant.

Turn off the “Sauté” function by pressing “Cancel.” Add the cajun spice and garlic powder give everything a stir, and add the beans, ham, and bone. Stir once more, cover everything with water, and toss in your bay leaves. Close the pot and press “Manual” or “Pressure Cook” depending on your model, and cook under high pressure for 50-65 minutes, depending on how toothsome you like your beans. (I like mine toothless, so I wouldn’t fault you for going all the way to 70 minutes.)

Once the cooking time has elapsed, release the pressure manually, and drain the pot liquor away from the beans and into a bowl. (Do not throw it out!) Set the beans aside, and return two cups of the liquid to the Instant Pot, along with two cups of (rinsed) rice. Close the pot once again, and cook under high pressure for three minutes. Once the cooking time has elapsed, allow the pressure to release naturally. (This should take about 15 minutes.)

While the rice is cooking, mix and mash the beans to your liking, seasoning with more cajun spice if needed. If you’re beans are a little dry, stir in some of that tasty bean juice you strained away earlier. (Just make sure to toss the bay leaves.) Once all the pressure has released from the rice, open up the Instant Pot, fluff the rice with a fork, and serve it with the beans you have been thinking about.

(I have seen them served on rice, under rice, and mixed into rice, so you do you here. It will taste good no matter the configuration.)


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