This recipe is many years in the making taking from several recipes of famous restaurants in New Orleans. I call it a New Orleans style b/c I deviate a little in certain places with the meat. The dish usually requires ham hock and salt pork, and with Cajuns maybe even Cajun tasso ham. Instead I use a pork shoulder and cut away as much fat as I can. I use Andouille sausage which has its own level of cayenne pepper so I don’t add anymore. This recipe has a bus load of flavor.

Traditionally, New Orleanians eat this dish pretty much every Monday. So typically it is made with the cheapest most flavorful pork meats or pork bones from leftovers but more meat such as sausage appear in it as a highlight. The center flavor starts with bell pepper, onion, and celery as do most Creole dishes like Gumbo and Jambalaya.

• 1 Lb. red beans soaked in water for 16 hours.
• 1 Lb. of pork shoulder (fat cut away) (cut into small pieces)
• 1 half stick of Andouille Sausage (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 Bottle of local brew (I used Potosi Ale Red Label, local in Wisconsin not far – 2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf cut in two
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Extra chicken stock if needed as you cook

Add all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a slight simmer 3 hours. Check every hour and adjust as you go. By the time it finishes cooking most of the liquid stock should have evaporated.  Cool, Refrigerate. Serve the next day.

For you Vegans: Instead of pork, make sure you add 3 TBSP olive oil or a garlic olive oil prep. (Heat olive oil and garlic together) Also, just use water and no stock. I wouldn’t use a veggie stock b/c the New Orleans affect is centered around the onion, green bell and celery. That trio is called a New Orleans Mirepoix or in the New Orleans colloquial a Trinity.

Also, New Orleans is pronounced NuWaLens, or NewOrLens, or NewOrlee-ins, not Nu Orleens. If you travel to San Francisco and call it Frisco, you will get corrected!  It’s San-Fran-cis-co.

This is nothing short of spectacular.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated mozzarella cheese
• 1 cup grated cheddar cheese
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• Several fresh basil leaves
• ½ cup chopped green onions
• 4 tomatoes peeled and sliced
• 1 – 9” deep dish pie crust
• 1 garlic clove chopped
• 1 ¼ slice of black forest ham, browned on both sides and cut into pieces
• Salt pepper

Preheat oven to 350ᵒ

Mix cheeses and mayo with salt and pepper in a bowl

In the pie crust layer first the ham, garlic, green onions, tomatoes, basil and then the cheeses mixture.

Bake 30 minutes

Serve

The object of this sauce is reduction. When the red wine and beef stock have reduced, then you will strain all the rosemary, peppercorns and shallots/onions. Return the sauce, and seasoning, thicken with corn starch and let cool. When you are ready to serve you can warm it a little. This sauce is ideal from preparing it in advance of plating.

2 TBSP Butter
3 Shallot, or ½ onion, chopped
1 sprig Fresh Rosemary
1 TBSP Peppercorns
1 ½ cup Cabernet Sauvignon or other dry red wine
1 ½ cup Beef Stock
2 TBSP Corn Starch
1 TBSP Worcestershire

1. In a small sauce pan sauté shallots in butter, medium heat
2. Add Rosemary and peppercorns and red wine, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes
3. Add beef stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 45 minutes
4. Remove from heat, strain, clean sauce pan, and place wine sauce back in the small sauce pan.  It should yield 1 1/2 cups of reduction.
5. Heat sauce just a little; add salt and pepper, Worcestershire, add corn starch and whisk, set aside when you are ready to use.
6. When you have ready to serve, lightly heat sauce, spoon over meat

Meat
½ lb. or more wild caught salmon

Mirepoix
1 onion – chopped

Vegetables
1 small bunch (2 cups) Napa cabbage – chopped
1 clove garlic – minced
1 bunch mushrooms (any kind) sliced

Sauce
½ cup dry white wine
1 cups chicken stock
1 TBSP corn starch – mix first in two TBSP of cold water then add to the pot

Seasoning and Herbs, Oil
Salt and Pepper
3 TBSP olive oil
3 or 4 lemon slices
3 or 4 fresh basil leaves
1 tsp. cappers w/juice

Serve over rice

Sauté onions in olive oil. Add the cabbage and mushrooms. Cook for about five minutes. Add the corn starch and cook another five minutes. Add the wine and chicken stock. Place the salmon on top and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and cook on a low flame for 40 minutes. Serve over rice.