Ever since eating the white beans at Laura's II in Lafayette (quite possibly the best beans I've ever had) I've been on a hunt for a clone recipe. A few previous attempts were good but not close. This recipe by Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois of Louisiana Cooking Magazine is pretty dang close. Chef Jean-Paul's recipe has quite a bit more meat than the ones made Laura's II but the flavor is close. This recipe calls for pickled pork. Salt pork can be substituted. Here is a recipe link and I'll post the youtube video at the bottom.
I made pickled pork for this recipe using Alton Brown's recipe: https://pitmaster.amazingribs.com/fo...1-pickled-pork
White Beans and Rice
Author: Chef Jean-Paul Bourgeois
Prep Time: 30-60 minutes for the Mise en Place, overnight soak for the beans
Cook Time: About 3 hours
Makes about 10 servings
Ingredients
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 2 smoked ham hocks
- 1½ pounds smoked andouille sausage, sliced
- ½ pound pickled pork, diced large (or salt pork)
- ½ pound smoked tasso, diced
- 2 cups chopped onion
- ½ cup chopped green onion
- ½ cup chopped bell pepper
- ½ cup chopped celery
- ⅓ cup chopped garlic
- 4 to 5 dried bay leaves
- 2 pounds dried great Northern beans*, soaked in water for 12 hours (soaking liquid reserved)*
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with butcher’s twine
- Kosher salt, ground black pepper, ground white pepper, and hot sauce, to taste
- Hot cooked long-grain white rice
- Garnish: chopped parsley, sliced green onion
Instructions
- In a 12-quart cast aluminum or cast-iron pot, heat oil over high heat. Add ham hocks, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned. Set aside on a plate. Repeat process with andouille, pickled pork, and tasso, in batches if necessary. Return andouille, pickled pork, and tasso to pot, and add onions, bell pepper, celery, green onions, garlic, and bay leaves; cook, stirring occasionally, scraping bottom of pan with a flat-edged wooden spoon, until vegetables are softened.
- Add reserved ham hocks, beans and reserved soaking liquid, stock, and thyme to meat mixture, leaving enough room for the beans to cook in the pot. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer until beans are tender and creamy when pinched, 2 to 3 hours.
- Remove ham hocks, and let cool enough to handle; shred meat, and discard bones. Season bean mixture to taste with salt, black pepper, and a few splashes of hot sauce. Using the back of a spoon, crush some of the beans against side of pot. Return ham hock meat to beans mixture. Discard thyme bundle and bay leaves. Turn off heat. Serve with white rice. Garnish with parsley and green onion, if desired.
Notes
*We used Camellia Brand Great Northern Beans. Navy beans can be substituted.
ONE NOTE: Chef Jen-Paul added all of the veggies at once. I withheld the garlic and green onion for a few minutes before adding.
Mise en Place
Rancho Gordo Beans
Meat is browned
Adding veggies
Adding the soaked beans and chicken stock
After 3 1/2 hours: Beans are soft but gotta mush a lot of them to get the right consistency - almost paste-like
Served with my homemade Chiltepin pepper vinegar
Comment