Louisiana Real and Rustic Series – Side Dishes – Cajun Dirty Rice
Dirty Rice is considered a side dish, a stuffing, a sausage, or whatever you want to use it with or for. However, it’s really too bold and delicious to just be a side dish. It’s popularity in Louisiana cooking makes it a prominent choice as an accompaniment of a variety of meats, poultry or seafood. As a sausage it can be stuffed into a casing and morphed a variety of ways and simply be called Boudin (although Cajun purists will argue otherwise). It’s also an ideal general stuffing, especially for all manner of fowl.
Every cook in Louisiana will have his or her own version of this classic. At it’s root it’s a rice dish made by simmering browned meats, some form of organ meat, the trinity (celery, bell pepper, and onions), various Cajun/Creole seasonings along with some sort of stock.
Like most Louisiana dishes, the origins of Dirty Rice go well back to the 19th century. As is often seen in real and rustic cooking, many of the expensive cuts of meat were provided for those who could afford them, while the poor were left with the cheaper cuts and the organ meat. Thus, chicken livers, gizzards and hearts are a staple of the dish. Along with rice, also plentiful in the delta regions, this dish became a popular and inexpensive way to feed a poor and hungry family.
The term “Dirty” Rice then refers to the way the white rice takes on a brown appearance due to the addition of the organ meat and the stock. But don’t let the name or its history fool you, this dish made its way from the poorest of tables to the haute cuisine of New Orleans. It’s yet another example of Real and Rustic food that is just plain delicious.
Dirty Rice
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 4-6 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
1 tbl avocado oil
1 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1/2-pound ground pork (I like Jimmy Dean sausage as a substitute)
1/3-pound chicken livers pureed (or add finely chopped gizzards and hearts)
1 tbl Kosher salt
1 tbl coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup low sodium beef stock
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups cooked white rice
Directions
In a large pot melt the butter and combine with the oil until warmed over with a medium high heat. To that add the trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery along with the jalapeno. Sauté until tender and slightly caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Add to that the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
Add the pork to the veggies and continue to cook until browned, about 3-4 more minutes. Be sure to break up the pork into little pieces with a wooden spoon. Next add the organ meat, bay leaves and the remaining seasonings. Stir and combine until the organ meat is cooked through and tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Finally add the cooked rice and the beef stock. Again, stir to combine until everything is heated through, about another 4-5 minutes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Add the amount of hot sauce to taste. I like mine spicy but not blowing my head off!!
Serve a portion of this delicious and versatile side dish and enjoy an all-time favorite of Louisiana cooking cuisine!!
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it. In the words of the late Justin Wilson, “J’vous garantis” or “I gar-roon-tee!”
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
Cajun Side Dishes
Popeye's Chicken & Waffles
Every cook in Louisiana will have his or her own version of this classic. At it’s root it’s a rice dish made by simmering browned meats, some form of organ meat, the trinity (celery, bell pepper, and onions), various Cajun/Creole seasonings along with some sort of stock.
Like most Louisiana dishes, the origins of Dirty Rice go well back to the 19th century. As is often seen in real and rustic cooking, many of the expensive cuts of meat were provided for those who could afford them, while the poor were left with the cheaper cuts and the organ meat. Thus, chicken livers, gizzards and hearts are a staple of the dish. Along with rice, also plentiful in the delta regions, this dish became a popular and inexpensive way to feed a poor and hungry family.
The term “Dirty” Rice then refers to the way the white rice takes on a brown appearance due to the addition of the organ meat and the stock. But don’t let the name or its history fool you, this dish made its way from the poorest of tables to the haute cuisine of New Orleans. It’s yet another example of Real and Rustic food that is just plain delicious.
Dirty Rice
Course. Lunch or Dinner.
Cuisine. Louisiana Cajun
Makes. 4-6 servings
Takes. 30 minutes prep, 30 minutes cooking time
Ingredients
1 tbl avocado oil
1 tbl unsalted butter
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 cup bell pepper chopped
1/2 cup celery chopped
3-4 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper finely chopped
1/2-pound ground pork (I like Jimmy Dean sausage as a substitute)
1/3-pound chicken livers pureed (or add finely chopped gizzards and hearts)
1 tbl Kosher salt
1 tbl coarse ground black pepper
1 tsp crushed red pepper
2 bay leaves
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup low sodium beef stock
1/4 to 1/2 tsp Louisiana hot sauce to taste
2 cups cooked white rice
Directions
In a large pot melt the butter and combine with the oil until warmed over with a medium high heat. To that add the trinity of onion, bell pepper, and celery along with the jalapeno. Sauté until tender and slightly caramelized, about 4-5 minutes. Add to that the garlic and cook for an additional minute until fragrant.
Add the pork to the veggies and continue to cook until browned, about 3-4 more minutes. Be sure to break up the pork into little pieces with a wooden spoon. Next add the organ meat, bay leaves and the remaining seasonings. Stir and combine until the organ meat is cooked through and tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Finally add the cooked rice and the beef stock. Again, stir to combine until everything is heated through, about another 4-5 minutes. Check the seasonings and adjust accordingly. Add the amount of hot sauce to taste. I like mine spicy but not blowing my head off!!
Serve a portion of this delicious and versatile side dish and enjoy an all-time favorite of Louisiana cooking cuisine!!
Enjoy Louisiana Real and Rustic cooking, you will fall in love with it. In the words of the late Justin Wilson, “J’vous garantis” or “I gar-roon-tee!”
In case you missed any recipes in this series, check out these other Louisiana Real and Rustic dishes;
Seafood Courtboullion
Boudin Stuffed Quail
Shrimp & Oyster Stuffed Whole Flounder
Red Beans & Rice
Cajun Side Dishes
Popeye's Chicken & Waffles
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