Red Beans and Rice

[LSUTiger]

Hi everyone, new to the site and this is my first post. Anyways, so I started soaking some red beans a few minutes ago, and I was just curious if anyone has tried soaking them in something other than just water. I thought maybe the beans would absorb whatever taste might be in the soaking liquid, but I was hesitant to try it because I thought that salt or some other spice might have some kind of harmful or unintended bad effect on the beans. If anyone has any info as to why/what the result of this might be, as well as what some acceptable substitutes might be, I would be most grateful.
Thanks

[phatch]

For soaking, no, I wouldn't add anything. They soak too long at room temp to add meat or anything perishable.

They always say not to use something salty as that toughens the beans. But why cook them with a ham hock then?

But I never soak anyway. I always use a pressure cooker so time isn't really an issue. I usually add some onin, garlic and herbs to the pot for some added flavor while cooking. Maybe a hom hock too if I have one and it's appropriate to the recipe.

Phil

[LSUTiger]

Hey Phil, thanks for the response.
*Just talked to my mom, she said she has heard of people using beef broth, which is the only thing I could think to use other than water anyways. *

[AprilB]

You just want to soak in water. The fast cook methods work really well too.

One of the tricks with cooking beans that I learned is you don't salt them <brining them makes them tough>, you don't stir them when you're cooking them...Just let the little lovelies sit and stew until they are tender. Slow cooking with a hamhock, bacon or diced ham never seemed to have the same effect. I'm guessing the salt chemistry is different, but I only know the results I've had.

You want them to stand out and taste like beans in your dish, not like something else. If you want something else then put that in your dish when it's cooking. If you need a glop kind of result, remove some of the beans and mash the dickens out of them and put them back.

Yes, I suppose you can add anything you want while while cooking but not soaking.

<well...I SUPPOSE you could if you wanted but ...>

Of course this is all stuff I grew up with and I'd love to hear of any other results.

Beans and rice...yeah...
April

[LSUTiger]

It's not so much the method of cooking the beans that I am unsure about, I was just kind of curious if anyone else had tried soaking in something other than water. Personally, pickled pork and andouille always go into my rb&r, along with the trinity finely diced and sauted. I added beef broth when i started the boiling process this time, and cut down on the spices I put into it as well. Much better result from my standpoint. Thanks for the replies.

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh

Amazing, been (pun LOL) on hiatus from here for near a year and this was one of the conversations hot at the time I left.

Well, I sadly forget who it was, but there was one fellow posted a link to a study on the issue, and the study demonstrated that bean cooking is realative to age of beans and not cooking fluid. The fresher the beans the better they cook, and visa versa.

Personaly, I treat beans no different than rice, and I find they work out well. Lots of room for flavours later.

OH and no acids, if I recall. They realy stop the cooking of the bean. So tomatoes and such at the end of cooking. Hmm thats just if I recall correctly.

Keeps

[fairfieldchef]

Originally Posted by LSUTiger

Hey Phil, thanks for the response.
*Just talked to my mom, she said she has heard of people using beef broth, which is the only thing I could think to use other than water anyways. *

From a fellow Louisianian and LSU Tiger fan, welcome to cheftalk and geaux LSU TIGERS!!!

Not to brag but I make some really great red beans rice that sell like crazy in our store, especially in the winter time. I don't soak the beans but do add a smoked ham hock or two and a couple of tablespoons (for 8 pounds of beans) of Knorr's Beef Base. It's a beef base that adds a nice richness to soups, stew and red beans. Be careful how much you use as it is high in sodium, although they do make a no salt version. I add the beef base after the beans have cooked for about a hour along with the trinity of veggies (onions, celery, green bell peppers), additional seasonings, and garlic (i use crushed garlic pods). Simmer for another hour or so until the beans are tender and the broth has thickened some. I hate runny red beans! I also add my sliced sausage and andouille (cooked in separate pan, then drain off) about 30 minutes before the beans are done. It's my favorite winter meal.

Bill

Saturday's Prediction: LSU 48 - U of L at Lafayette 0

[LSUTiger]

Fairfield thanks for the response, I would like to try this beef base stuff. Do you know where I might be able to get some around B.R.?