“Bayou bliss in every bite!”
Easy Cajun Dirty Rice
I have been cooking and enjoying eating dirty rice for quite some time. I think it was watching Justin Wilson’s cooking show on television that influenced me to first try dirty rice. After I had developed this recipe we were entertaining a couple of out-of-state friends whom I wanted to impress with an authentic Cajun meal. After she’d enjoyed several bites, our guest, Lisa, asked me why it was called “dirty” rice. I told her that the different meats changed the color of the bright white rice and that was why. I anticipated her next question and added that the three meats were ground beef, ground pork sausage and ground chicken. She had a second helping of the dirty rice and after the meal asked me about the specifics of the recipe. When I told her that the chicken meat was chicken liver, I thought she was going to faint, but, she admitted that the dish was tasty and even added that she’d probably have it again! Now I’m left wondering how she’d react to learning that the beef was actually lean venison … I guess that’s one of those things I need to let go of and totally forget about …..
I have read many articles about the origin of dirty rice but this one was easy to understand and didn't insert the politics that other's did .... " It’s a popular dish that gets its name from the ground beef and finely chopped chicken livers included in the dish, hence giving the rice its “dirty” color. During slave days, the best parts of the chicken fed the plantation owners. Slaves were left with the less desirable parts – the innards. Combine it with rice, which was cheap and plentiful, and you’ve got a meal substantial enough to feed a family. Cajuns later adopted dirty rice for the same reason. Cajuns can trace their familial roots back to exiles from Eastern Canada who later settled as tenant farmers in the swamps Louisiana. The Cajuns weren’t especially rich, hence the need for poor man’s meals made with grains and cheap cuts of meat." Source
Ingredients
Instructions
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Cook the rice according to package instructions replacing water with chicken broth. Set aside when cooked.
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Coat a skillet with cooking spray and brown the pork sausage. Set aside and wipe the skillet clean.
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Pour half the bacon grease into the skillet and fry the chicken liver until browned and done with an internal temp of 165°F. Using a slotted spoon, remove the livers setting them aside and reserve the grease.
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In the skillet with the grease, brown the venison (or beef). When done, set the meat aside and wipe the skillet clean.
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Pour the remaining bacon grease into the skillet. Over medium high heat, add the minced shallot, garlic and celery; cook until soft and fragrant. Set aside.
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In a cast iron Dutch oven add the beef stock and the cooked garlic, shallot, and celery. Add the Cajun seasoning and two bay leaves; bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and add the three different types of cooked meat. Simmer for 5-8 minutes.
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Add the cooked rice and stir thoroughly. Cook until the rice is heated through, about 5 minutes. If necessary, add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from the heat and remove the bay leaves. Stir in the parsley and serve.
Serving Size 1 cup
Servings 10
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 260kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 13g20%
- Saturated Fat 5g25%
- Cholesterol 128mg43%
- Sodium 475mg20%
- Potassium 233mg7%
- Total Carbohydrate 13g5%
- Dietary Fiber 1g4%
- Protein 16g32%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
Note
Nutritional Warning ... this dish is high in Cholesterol. One cup has 128 mg which is about 43% of the daily requirement for a person on a 2000 kcal diet.