Creole Beans and Rice with Pickled AGH Pork

A variation on that old Cajun classic “Red Beans and Rice” using pickled American Guinea Hog pork and Snowcap Beans. 

Before I post the recipe I want to go ahead and address the inevitable food safety comments that will come up about raw pickled pork. (Cause there’s always some fear-mongering, concerned soul with no common sense who thinks they are smarter than everyone else!) THERE ARE NO FOOD SAFETY ISSUES USING A STRAIGHT VINEGAR SOLUTION. This was a classic way to preserve FRESH, raw pork in a hot, humid climate before refrigeration and without commercial canning methods. I am providing this additional info because, as a prepper, I can attest to the fact that even unrefrigerated “Pickled Pork” has a pretty long shelf life, though the quality is best when fresh (used within 10 days).  If you google “Pickled Pork” you will see there are 2 variations and endless opinions about how to do it.

One is a brined product that was packed in salt into barrels (like salt cod -- think 50# or more at a time!) Sometimes saltpeter (sodium nitrate) was added, sometimes not. Sodium nitrite/nitrate are more commonly known as curing salts, #1/#2 respectively, and prevent botulism in low-acid products with some slight differences in how they act on the botulism bacteria in relation to pH over time. Modern brine recipes (for pickled pork) use #1 sometimes more for preserving the pink color of the meat (and to prevent the inevitable complaints about food safety!).  That is not the type of pork I’ll be using here but it’s good information to file away for future use.

The second type is preserved (marinated, actually) in straight vinegar with some salt for flavor (and the salt will help the vinegar penetrate the meat by drawing out the water first). Full-strength vinegar prohibits the growth of botulism bacteria. This was traditionally kept at room temp without processing (water bath or pressure canning) and was perfectly safe to eat, though longer term storage may have a bit of mold growth on the top and any fat left on the meat will go rancid eventually. That is of no real concern because once the vinegar has penetrated the meat, it should be used fairly soon or it will become overpoweringly sour to the point where there is no pork flavor left at all. (I used this method once on porcupine meat and eradicating the flavor was actually a GOOD thing!) The meat will also fall apart completely when cooked if left in the vinegar too long. A little #1 curing salt (sodium nitrite) may be added for the sole purpose of preserving the pink color, but it has no effect on an already-safe product.

One difference I have found using AGH pork rather than lean commercial pork is that it doesn’t soak up the vinegar as fast (probably because of the marbling or the type of fat/finish?) and you can use that to your advantage by cutting the pieces a little smaller to use it sooner (about 3-4 days) or leave it in larger cubes (never more than 2” to be safe!) for 7-10 days (and then dicing it smaller just before cooking). I do keep mine in the fridge because I’m not likely to make more than a couple quarts at a time, which will be about 3# of meat packed loosely in the jars. The pickling spices are optional; I can’t taste them over the vinegar anyway, but it’s a prettier product. This is a great way to use up small bits of trim after butchering, however, the shoulder is the perfect cut of meat for this. The braising cuts will hold up better than the tender cuts in the vinegar.

 

I used some hot-smoked AGH pork belly fat for the smoke flavor because I had it in the fridge – only a little, as that sow had a lot of fat and not much meat. Any smoke flavor will do though. I often put extra hocks and trotters on the grill just for future bean dishes when I smoke a whole piglet. The leftover skin of said piglet will also provide a nice smoky flavor to any bean dish, along with useful collagen. And of course, smoked sausage is awesome; if you have it, go wild and use it freely! Andouille is the classic Creole sausage for this dish.

Any “al dente” bean may be used. (That means one that holds its shape even after long cooking.) The small, red beans traditionally used in this dish do not become as creamy as, for instance, a pinto bean, no matter how long you cook them. The “Snowcap Beans” came from Purcell Mountain Farms and I was very pleased with the flavor and texture. They are big, like a large red kidney bean. I used pork stock to cook the beans because I like to get as much nutrition out of my food as possible, but water is also fine. Of course canned beans may also be used. This can be made on the stovetop or in the crockpot, and I’ll bet an InstaPot would be great for a fast meal. Bon appetit!

Pickled Pork
(makes  about 1 quart)

*1 T mustard seeds
*12 peppercorns
*1 bay leaf
*1 t hot pepper flakes
*4 cloves whole, crushed garlic
*1 T Kosher salt
*1 ½ cups white or cider vinegar
* 1 ½ pounds cubed pork, no bigger than 2” dice

Bring all ingredients except pork to a boil in a small saucepan. Allow to cool. Stir pork cubes in, coating thoroughly. Pack loosely into a jar or bowl, pouring vinegar in between layers, then use a knife or chopstick to remove air bubbles. If you need more vinegar, just pour it on top and stir into the jar. Use in 3-10 days depending on the size of the cubes. Alternately, just toss the salt with the pork, then pour the vinegar over if you want to skip the rest. Premixed “pickling spice” may also be used. Don’t make this hard. :-)

Creole Beans and Rice

*1 pound red beans (or other bean of your choice), soaked overnight
*2 quarts water, broth or stock, or combination
*1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
*1/2 cup chopped celery
*1 chopped bell pepper, any color combo (poblanos are also good)
*1 bunch chopped green onions
*6 cloves crushed garlic, whole
*1/2 cup chopped parsley or 2 T dried
*fresh thyme sprigs (remove after cooking) or 1 t dried
*2-3 bay leaves
*1 T Worcestershire
*2 t Tabasco or Sriracha
*1 pound smoked sausage (or some hocks/trotters/skin/bacon)
*1 ½ pounds Pickled Pork, rinsed and cut into ¾” dice
*salt and pepper to taste
*white or cider vinegar to taste, if needed

Beginning with the beans and water/stock, bring them to a boil while prepping/adding consecutive ingredients to pot. Cook 2-2 1/2 hours on stovetop, or until beans are tender. If using a crock pot, place all ingredients in pot and cook 6-8 hours.  Season to taste with salt and vinegar. Serve over rice. Garnish with parsley, chives or green onions.