Wally Taillon's Championship Jambalaya

Just bumped into this on the Today Show's website:

While visiting New Orleans over the weekend for Jazz Fest, Hoda Kotb got her Cajun food fix by enjoying pork and sausage jambalaya made by Wally Taillon, the president of the Gonzales Jambalaya Festival.



Pork and Sausage Jambalaya

1 ½ pounds pork
½ pound smoked sausage
1 pound long grain rice
1 pound yellow onions
1 cup cooking oil
¾ quart water
Black pepper
Cayenne pepper
Salt
Tony Chachere's seasoning, to taste
Hot sauce, to taste

In a 6-8 quart pot (black iron preferred), put one cup of cooking oil and turn heat on medium to high. Add pork and cook pork until all water evaporated from the meat.

Turn heat to low and add onions on top of meat. Stir bottom frequently to keep from sticking. Cook until onions become glazed and most of the liquid has evaporated from them. Add ¾ quart of water and ½ pound of sausage and turn heat to low boil. Make mental note of water level in the pot.

Cook 10 minutes, adding seasonings to taste. Turn heat off and check water level to make sure it has not decreased much. (Replace water as needed)

Skim off excess oil, leaving a small amount.

Turn heat back to low boil and season to taste again. Add extra salt and pepper because the rice will absorb much of the seasonings.

Turn heat on medium to high and add rice, stirring frequently to keep rice from sticking. Stir 6-7 minutes until rice has soaked up most of the liquid.

Turn heat to low and time 10 minutes.

Without disturbing or stirring the rice, run a large spoon down the side of the pot in 3 or 4 places to allow the water on top to drain to the bottom.

Seal rice back in place with the back of the spoon.
After 20-25 minutes, turn rice over by scraping the bottom of the pot.

Turn heat off and jambalaya is done.

Serves 7