Almost Popeyes Red Beans & Rice

Almost Popeyes Red Beans & Rice

Ham hocks, which are reasonable at most markets, are placed in the oven for several hours so that the fat drains out. There's your rendering. As for the beans, find red beans (they're smaller than kidney beans) in two 15-ounce cans. If you're having trouble tracking down red beans, red kidney beans will substitute just as well.

Beans
2 pounds smoked ham hocks
2 15-ounce cans red beans
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
dash garlic powder
dash onion powder

Rice
2 1/4 cups water
1/4 cup butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup converted rice

1. First you must render the fat from the smoked ham hocks. Preheat oven to 375 degrees and place the ham hocks in a deep pan. Cover pan with foil and bake for 4 to 5 hours or until 1/4 cup of fat has rendered from the hocks.

2. Combine 1/4 cup pork fat with one 15-ounce can red beans plus liquid in a medium saucepan. Add 1/2 cup water, brown sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, garlic powder, and onion powder. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Use a potato masher to smash beans into a paste-like consistency. Add entire contents of remaining can of beans to the mixture and cook for an additional 10 minutes.

3. Prepare rice for 4 servings. For Uncle Ben's converted rice you bring 2 1/4 cups water to a boil. Add 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add 1 cup of rice, reduce heat to low and simmer rice for 20 minutes or until tender.

4. To prepare each serving scoop 1 cup of beans into a bowl. Add 1 cup of rice on top of the beans and serve. Makes 2 large servings.