It's simple: Without a rich savory broth or stock as a base, standard Cajun and Creole family-style dishes will be flavorless. You can use canned stocks and broths in a bind, but remember that the canned stuff is watery, largely devoid of real flavor, and full of salt (to make up for the lack of flavor). To make good, authentic Cajun and Creole dishes, especially ettoufee (smothered whatever) and gumbo, you MUST start with a very rich and flavorful homemade stock. Plan on making a large batch in advance. We typically keep several large freezer bags in the freezer for chicken scraps, pork bones, shrimp shells, etc. When we get a full bag of, say, chicken scraps (necks, trimmed backs, wing tips, etc), then we do a large stock pot filled with the scraps, covered with water, add onion/celery/carrot, and simmer for hours (6 hours for chicken stock). For pork stock, we roast bones (neck bones are good) until browned, then add these to a stock pot and simmer with onion etc for several hours. We've made ham hock stock by buying a large number of smoked pork hocks (ham hocks) and simmering for hours. Shrimp stock is made by "sweating" peeled shrimp shells in a bit of oil, then covering with water and simmering for about 30 minutes to an hour. We've even saved fish heads to make fish stock, or cracked lobster shells for lobster broth. You can even make your own vegetable (vegetarian) broth, using onions, carrots, leaks, cauliflower, and other vegetable matter you have around the house.
Once you have a big batch of stock, be sure to strain off all the solids (start by fishing out all the bones, skin, and other solid matter, then optionally strain the liquid through cheesecloth for a clearer, cleaner stock). Refrigerate the stock overnight and then skim off any excess (solidified) fat the next day. Then you can freeze it for future use in appropriate-size containers. Around our house, we have quarts and quarts of various types of broth and stock. In preparing for our annual Mardi Gras party, we make gallons of the stuff, to serve as the base of everything from Frank's gumbo, to the ham hock base of red beans, to the foundation of the sauce for etouffée.
New Orleans red beans are NOT red kidney beans. Red kidneys are too large and the skin is too tough. You'll never achieve the creaminess of authentic Red Beans and Rice if you use kidneys. Instead, you must find small red beans. Here in Buffalo, that means using Goya Small Red Beans (Frijoles Rojas Pequeños). Another critical component is to use lots of different seasoning meats. That means salt pork, ham hocks, ham, and optionally a good smoked sausage, like the local Wardynski's Smoked Polish Sausage. I should also mention that New Orleans bay leaves are NOT the bay laurel variety you get in California. Look for the Mediterranean-style bay leaves. Bay leaves you find in Indian (aka Mumbai, Bombay) stores and Italian groceries are fine. Finally, you can cook up ordinary long-grain rice, but most people in Louisiana swear by Uncle Ben's Converted Rice. This cooks up nice and firm, is never mushy, and is easy to work with.
With these notes in mind, if you skimp on ingredients or make substitutions, and your red beans don't turn out the same, then don't blame my recipe!
Shopping List for New Orleans Red Beans and Rice
Goya Small Red Beans (Frijoles Rojas Pequeños)
Armour-brand sliced salt pork
Smoked ham hocks (Camilla or other brand)
Lean ham (steak slab or larger, boneless; Cure 81 or Sahlens is good)
Wardynski's Smoked Polish Sausage
Mediterranean-Style Bay Leaves (whole)
Uncle Ben's Converted Rice (regular, not instand or quick-cook)
Garlic, Olive Oil
Tasso (pronounced TAH-so) ham is a very spicy, dry, smoked pork made from the ham. Andouille (pronounced ahn-DOO-ee)
sausage is a strongly smoked, garlicky sausage, that is formed by pressing chunks of pork together rather than
grinding. Unfortunately, a great many authentic smoked meats are simply not available here in the United States
outside of the places where they are made because the Federal government strongly regulates the shipping of foods
(especially meats). I find this disconcerting because these smoked meats represent a dying art in which families
preserved foodstuffs for times of scarcity. Frank and I would love to give you our favorite source for tasso ham
and andouille sausage, but the Feds caught up with our supplier and ordered him to stop mailing the stuff to us.
Frank has managed to master making homemade tasso in his home smoker, but we still aren't satisfied with our efforts
to reproduce authentic andouille sausage (and we've tried a lot of recipes from a great many people, some very
famous). Our next step is to attend the annual Andouille festival held in (my old hometown of) LaPlace, LA, in
early October. There, we hope to watch and talk to the masters, and to preserve what we fear may be a dying art.
Even in New Orleans, you can purchase items labeled as tasso and andouille, but we have never been satisfied with
them. In our opinion, only tasso and andouille from LaPlace, LA, measure up. I suppose this is similar to our attitude
about prosciutto from Parma, Italy - simply unequaled. We feel the same way about drinking Guinness served within
blocks of the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, Ireland (or, better yet, at the Guinness Brewery); about true
country ham from the hills of North Carolina, Kentucky, and Virginia served up with grits and redeye gravy; and
about sitting near the bay in San Francisco to consume freshly caught and boiled Dungeness crabs. The result is
that we are constantly trying to replicate the flavors of authentic south Louisiana ingredients. We have been successful
in the case of tasso ham and New Orleans olive salad. As mentioned
above, we're still working on andouille sausage.
I will first give sources for the real thing. But you may have to make a trip south, and return with a suitcase
or two (as we do) of ingredients and freeze for use later. Then I will discuss some things you can obtain locally
(Buffalo, NY area) that will most closely approximate the flavors of real andouille and tasso.
Authentic tasso ham and andouille sausage
Our favorite source is Bailey's. Mr. Bailey used to work for Mr. Jacob at Jacob's World Famous Andouille, but got
mad and opened his own place. It seems as though they had "artistic" differences over the proper way
to make andouille and tasso. We side with Mr. Bailey here, but Jacob's is pretty darn close. Last time we checked,
they are not allowed by Federal law to ship their meats. We bring it back from a visit to New Orleans (LaPlace
is just outside New Orleans). You might also be able to get a friend to buy it for you and then ship it personally.
(Take that, you non-gastronomical Feds!)
Bailey's Famous Andouille
504 W Airline Hwy
LaPlace, LA 70068
(504) 651-2956
The next source is Jacob's. You can order both andouille and tasso to be shipped. (Perhaps this was the point of disagreement that the folks at Bailey's had with the folks at Jacob's — namely additives to meet Federal regulations for safety and to allow the meats to be shipped legally, but that definitely add some off flavors to the authentic product.) Oh . . . and just because their name includes "andouille" doesn't mean you can't get other things (like tasso, chaurice, and other items).
Jacob's World Famous Andouille
505 W Airline Hwy
LaPlace, LA 70068
(504)-652-9080 (voice)
(504)-652-9022 (fax)
1-877-215-7589 (toll free)
weenyman@bellsouth.net (email)
http://www.cajunsausage.com
Buffalo, NY-area substitutions
The most distinctive characteristic of tasso ham and andouille sausage is a deep smoky flavor. Although traditionally
smoked over pecan wood (for a deep and nutty flavor), other woods will provide good flavor (apple, cherry, hickory).
Regardless of whether you are looking for a substitute for tasso or andouille sausage, you will have to add some
smoky meats for a deep smoked flavor. Our suggestion is to use cubed bits from locally smoked pork ribs. One local
barbecue pit - Kentucky Greg's - even has seasonings on the ribs that are very close to those on authentic
tasso. Furthermore, his ribs are the only ones in town that are a deep smoky pink all the way through - a sign
of long, slow cooking. Our second choice would be ribs from Fat Bob's Smokehouse. Be sure that you don't
use anything with any barbecue sauce on it. If you don't wish to eat pork, try using chunks of long-smoked brisket,
or try smoked chicken. In any case, you must go to one of the above two establishments so there will be a sufficiently
smoky flavor. Finally, you may need to add some more black pepper, red pepper, and a pinch of cumin to compensate
for the strong rub that is normally on the outside of tasso.
Kentucky Greg's is by far the best barbecue joint in the area. Outside of what Frank and I make in our own
kitchen, he also has the best gumbo in town. Also try the cornmeal-crusted fried catfish with your choice of sides
(blackeye peas, potato salad, baked beans, collard greens, fried okra, cole slaw, etc).
Kentucky Greg's Hickory Pit
2186 George Urban Blvd (just east of Dick Rd)
Depew, NY
(716) 685-6599
For good smoked sausage, nothing is comparable to Spar's. A true German sausage-maker, Mr. Spar also smokes many of his own delicious sausages. Unfortunately, he doesn't make an authentic andouille sausage (his Cajun sausage isn't the same thing), but he often has a larger (1½ inch thick) sausage that looks as if it's made of ham chunks rather than ground. This sausage is close to the look of real andouille. But for flavor, ask him for something smoky and garlicky. You might even mix two different types in order to approximate the correct flavor. You may have noticed that Frank cuts some andouille in chunks for seasoning and leaves some in coin slices for eating. Try using Spar's smoked Hungarian for the seasoning chunks and get some of the larger (if he has it) to cut into coins for looks and eating. I have also seen a similar ham-chunk-looking sausage in the deli case at Tops Market. If it were me, I would get the ham-chunk-looking stuff and then smoke it for a few hours at home to add the smoky flavor. Don't forget to add garlic and some extra pepper so the flavor will be closer to authentic andouille sausage. In any case, for the best sausage anywhere in the Buffalo area, check out Spar's.
Spar's European Sausage
405 Amherst St (just east of Grant/Military junction)
Buffalo, NY
(716) 876-6607
The substitutes outlined above should give you a pretty good result.
Homemade tasso ham
As mentioned previously, Frank has managed to master making homemade tasso ham in our smoker at home. A number
of people have been pressing him to have a joint brew and 'cue session so they can learn how he does it (along
with smoked ribs, brisket, chicken, fish, and other delights). Just keep bugging him, and I would guess that around
June (when our soggy back yard has cleared up) he will invite folks over to see how he makes the stuff. In the
meantime, if you want to try it yourself, try the following recipe:
Rub: Equal parts salt, black pepper, red pepper, brown sugar, white sugar, and ground cumin
Tasso pieces: Take a fresh pork ham, and trying to follow the natural membranes, cut into pieces about the size of your hand (1 inch thick and 4-by-6-inch slabs).
Preparation: Rub each pork piece generously with the rub. Place in a single layer in baggies or a shallow dish overnight.
Smoking: Smoke over indirect low heat from a hardwood fire for about 12 hours, or until the pork pieces are thoroughly smoked and dry. [A piece cut through the center should be pink all the way through. A low temperature will ensure that the spices on the outside don't burn. Tasso can be frozen if well wrapped for about a year.
As you may already know, smoking foods is something of a religion with us. If you want to see how Frank goes about it, you'll have to hang loose until the summer brew-&-'cue session.
For other questions, feel free to email me.
Carol Tutzauer (tutzauer@buffalo.edu)