And this little piggy ended up in my gumbo!
When you think of gumbo, you usually think of seafood, chicken, sausage... but sometimes, a little twist brings a different ending to the story. This is one of those. Not better, not worse, just a different take on gumbo but most definitely worth making. And making again...
Ingredients:
2 tsp Cajun seasoning (Slap Ya Mama is perfect for this)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Louisiana Hot sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup flour
1.5 lb boneless pork butt, cut into 1/2in cubes
1.25 lb andouille sausage, cut into 1/4in slices
6 oz salted pork
1.5 cup yellow onion, chopped
1 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green bell peppers, chopped
6 cups chicken stock
1 12oz dark beer (brown ale or amber ale)
1.5 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cayenne
4 bay leaves
1 bag - Frozen okra
1 tbs file
4 cups long-grain rice
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
Directions:
The day before (12 hours is perfect but you can do with 1 hour if needed):
Put the cubes of the pork butt in a bowl and season with the Cajun seasoning, Worcestershire & hot sauce. Mix well, cover and refrigerate overnight.
When you are ready to make, heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the flour, stirring constantly to make a dark chocolate brown roux, about 30-35 minutes. Set aside when done.
Note:
If you have 2 people cooking, the second person can start the following steps which will finish about the same time as the roux is ready.
In another large pan, add the salted pork on medium high for 5 min.
Add the seasoned pork butt & sausage stirring until caramelized, about 6-7 min.
Add the onions, celery and bell peppers, cook stirring frequently until the onions are soft, about 7-10 min.
Once the roux is finished and the pork, sausage & holy trinity is done, add 1/2 of the beer to the roux to thin it out a bit. This makes it easier to transfer.
Add the roux to the pork and vegetable mixture.
Add the stock then bring to a boil, stirring frequently to prevent lumps.
Once at a boil, add the remaining beer, okra, salt, cayenne & bay leaves, stir to blend.
Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1.5 hours.
When you are 20 min from being ready to eat, cook the rice.
When the gumbo is about 10 remaining, add the file.
Remove the bay leaves before serving.
Eating:
Serve in bowls. Ladle the gumbo over the rive. Garnish with green onion and a little splash of Louisiana hot sauce.
Servings:
Makes 8 servings