re: Breaking Down My Red Beans and Rice

Yep. I've understood that. I'm a fan of the smoke flavor so I've stuck to hocks. Wouldn't push away a bowl with the pickled pork without emptying it, though.

I usually cook the hambones and/or smoked hocks or even smoked turkey wings in the water a while before adding the liquid to the beans to get a good start on flavoring it like a stock if I don't already have a ham stock made. By the way, a good ham stock is some kind of good.

I also add a stick of butter to the pot and swirl it in after I turn off the heat and just before serving. Not for everyone, but I like it.

Like I said, it might not be for everyone, but I love the richness and the texture it adds to a big old pot of beans which are then topped with a lot of chopped green onions, of course.

quote:

---

If you have enough fat in there, you don't need to mash.

---

To reinforce this, I like using a fairly rapid boil - helps the fat emulsify with the cooking liquid for a smoother, creamier texture.

An active boil also breaks down the beans a bit, helping them to release their starch for extra thickening without mashing (not that's there's anything wrong with mashing).

quote:

---

Are you using a crockpot? Nothing wrong with that, but if so you should use less water to compensate for lack of evaporation. Or leave lid off.

---

Yea

quote:

---

In general though, crockpot or not, people use too much water to cook their beans.

---

Yea I'm trying to balance between too much water and taking too much out and the beans staying dry.

The key to getting them mushy is soaking them overnight? Is there a certain trick to soaking or just make sure they're in enough water to stay covered throughout?

Thanks for all the help! I'd never done the hambone thing either, always just tossed in sausage at the end so that might be a problem as well, minimal fat in the batch.

quote:

---

Thanks for all the help! I'd never done the hambone thing either, always just tossed in sausage at the end so that might be a problem as well, minimal fat in the batch.

---

This will definitely improve your flavor. Ham bone, good smoked hocks will both help. You can even roast those a bit before using them if you like.

Soaking them cuts some of the cooking time and for the crock pot, that should help you since it's a low and slow process. Most folks soak before putting them in the crock pot, I would think. I would.

quote:

---

Two old wives tales say old beans or salt at the begining make beans take longer to soften.

---

Both are true.

Try adding finely shredded carrots to the pot (2 carrots per small bag of beans)when you start cooking your beans. The carrots will disintegrate during the 3 hours of cooking and barely be perceptible to the uninitiated. Only you will know. Ha ha haaaa! The carrots will add a nice subtle sweetness to the beans and reduce the cook time by about 30 minutes. I think you will be pleased with the taste.

If you want to test your bean cooking talent, try cooking beans without adding meat. It becomes more of a challenge when you don't rely on the meat to bail you out. I like to use a little vegetable stock along with chicken stock, both Kitchen Basic brand. I also use about a 1/4 teaspoon of Italian seasoning. And the proper ratio of onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. And of course my carrots.

I was giving him a pass.

But I can make vegetarian beans that are very good.

Yep. Loud and clear. Amazingly, I comprehended what he said.