Louis Armstrong’s Red Beans and Rice

Name: Louis Armstrong’s Red Beans and Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 1 d 4 h
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Cuisine: southern
Ingredients: 4 cups dried red kidney beans (about 1 pound 10 ounces), preferably Camellia brand; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 1/2 pound pickled pork or pickled ham hocks, diced; 1 medium onion, chopped, plus more for serving; 1 cup ketchup; 1 tablespoon vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar), plus more for serving; 1 thyme sprig or pinch of fresh thyme leaves; 1 teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving; Salt and pepper; 2 cups diced lean ham (about 10 ounces), or 1 ham bone; Cooked rice, fried ham slices or country sausage, and warm French bread, for serving

Recipe from Louis Armstrong and Christopher Blake

Adapted by Kayla Stewart

Published March 15, 2023

Louis Armstrong’s Red Beans and Rice — Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: About 4 hours, plus overnight soaking
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Rating: 4(357)
Comments: Read comments

In New Orleans, red beans and rice speaks to the soul of the spirited and storied city. Many native New Orleanians have expounded their own recipes, with some calling for ingredients ranging from jalapeños to mustard. The jazz singer and trumpeter Louis Armstrong loved the dish so much, he would often sign his letters “Red Beans & Ricely Yours,” and had several iterations that he shared with loved ones. In this recipe, adapted from the Southern Food and Beverage Museum booklet “Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours” by Christopher Blake, Mr. Armstrong makes a promising case for his essential red beans and rice ingredient: ketchup, which adds a hint of sweetness and tang. Though it’s not in the original recipe, oil helps brown the pickled ham hock and onion, for maximum depth and body, and keeps the pork from sticking. “As they say in New Orleans, red beans need no thickening because they got it in themselves,” Mr. Armstrong recounted in his recipe. However, if you crave more creaminess, smash a few beans against the side of your pot, just like many cooks do in the Crescent City. —Kayla Stewart

Featured in: Red Beans and Rice Feed New Orleans’ Soul

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Ingredients

Yield:6 to 8 servings

4cups dried red kidney beans (about 1 pound 10 ounces), preferably Camellia brand
2tablespoons vegetable oil
½pound pickled pork or pickled ham hocks, diced
1medium onion, chopped, plus more for serving
1cup ketchup
1tablespoon vinegar (such as apple cider vinegar), plus more for serving
1thyme sprig or pinch of fresh thyme leaves
1teaspoon hot sauce, plus more for serving
Salt and pepper
2cups diced lean ham (about 10 ounces), or 1 ham bone
Cooked rice, fried ham slices or country sausage, and warm French bread, for serving

Ingredient Substitution Guide

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Preparation

Step 1
Pick over beans and rinse well. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover. When ready to cook, drain off all water.
Step 2
In a heavy pot such as a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium. Brown the diced pickled pork, about 5 minutes, then add the chopped onion. Cook, stirring occasionally and scraping the bottom of the pan, for 8 to 10 minutes until softened.
Step 3
Stir in the beans, ketchup, vinegar, thyme and hot sauce; season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover with fresh cold water, making sure there is enough water for the beans to cook thoroughly (at least 2 inches of water above the beans).
Step 4
Once the water has come to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are semicooked, 45 to 60 minutes. Mash about 1 cup full of beans and return to the pot. Add the diced ham or ham bone and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, until the beans are thoroughly cooked and the sauce is rich and creamy, 2 to 3 hours. (If at any point the beans seem dry, add water, 1 cup at a time, until creamy.)
Step 5
Serve with fluffy white rice and garnish with fried ham slices or fried country sausage. Also serve chopped onions, vinegar and hot sauce on the side and lots of hot French bread.

Ratings

4 out of 5

357 user ratings

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Comments

Eileen Davis2 years ago

Onion, celery, parsley, bay leaf, water, use a smoked sausage, pickled meat or some butter. What cha got. Everything goes in cold. The smell on the stove simmering all day in my mama’s kitchen smells like Monday to me. When the beans soften smash a few. Stir as after as you like. Allow the beans to cool a bit and become even more creamy. Re heating make the dish even better. Grandma Myrtle would add vinegar peppers at the table. All seven kids ate it up. NOLA is home. Ketchup, skip it.

DRC4232 years ago

I've never seen pickled ham anywhere. What's a suitable substitution?

Patressa2 years ago

I don't eat pork products any longer, but I can still make red beans and rice, if I want. I made a really wild variation of this recipe, sans meat (I added smoked paprika and a couple of dashes of liquid smoke). It was wonderful, just like Louis Armstrong and his music. I admit, it was not this recipe exactly, but I did use the ketchup. To those who say this recipe isn't real or authentic red beans and rice, I say this: it's Louis Armstrong's recipe. That alone makes it authentic in my book.

Beth L5 months ago

I used Whataburger Hot Ketchup and this was awesome! No pickled pork was used in mine though.

Pete2 years ago

I never really liked kidney beans. Growing up in the Midwest, kidney beans were always ruining the flavor of chili. I'd never seen them really shine. Because I didn't want to commit too much shelf space, I opted for 2 cans over the prescribed 4 cups dry. The salt pork I used was almost entirely fat, so instead of hot sauce which would dissolve its way into the fat I used 3 chilis from a can of adobo (sans too much adobo). The heat feels right. I like kidney beans now.

Bob Carney2 years ago

The great amount of ketchup called for isn't a surprise. Some NOLA dishes use lots of tomato paste and sugar. "Sweet red gravy" isn't a favorite of mine. The simple recipe printed on a Camellia Brand package of red beans is hard to beat.

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Credits

Adapted from “Red Beans and Rice-ly Yours: Recipes From New Orleans That Louis Armstrong Loved” by Christopher Blake (Southern Food and Beverage Museum)