Authentic dirty rice usually contains gizzards & livers, or some other form of giblets, but don't fret if you don't like them. You can simply increase the beef or pork and still have a wonderful meal. Take it easy on the Cajun seasoning though - add a little, taste and adjust!

Cajun Dirty Rice

There are as many dirty rice recipes as there are southern cooks, but authentic dirty rice recipes always include chicken giblets of some kind - the kidney, heart, gizzard and liver. This is just one of those Cajun dishes that was born out of the tradition of using every part of the animal in meals. Also, when we cook rice in the south, which we do regularly, we tend to cook a bunch so that there's just about always some rice hanging around in the fridge. This dish is a great way to use some of that leftover rice, which I feel surely must've had something to do with its creation in the first place.

The giblets are what creates the "dirty" look to the rice, because they impart a color that clings to rice and gives it a sort of, well, dirty look. Without them it really isn't dirty rice at all because it is both lacking in the classic color and the unique flavor of the giblets. Still, even "cleaned up" for folks who can't stomach the idea of eating giblets of any kind, it's a darned good dish - so you can omit them if you like.

Although I love it the authentic way, hubs isn't gonna touch a liver or gizzard, least not knowingly, so I usually use a combination of ground beef and hot pork sausage which while not really authentic, makes a perfectly acceptable dirty rice. Make it a Creole Dirty Rice by adding in 2 cans of Rotel tomatoes and 1 small can of tomato sauce!

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Recipe: Cajun Dirty Rice

©From the Kitchen of Deep South Dish

Prep time: 15 min |Cook time: 30 min |

Yield: About 4 to 6 servings

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Ingredients

• 3 slices of bacon, chopped
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped celery
• 3 toes of garlic, chopped
• 2 tablespoons of chopped jalapenos
• 1 pound of mixed chicken livers & gizzards (or a combination of giblets), trimmed, rinsed and ground or chopped
• 1 pound of ground beef or pork
• 3 generous pinches of kosher salt, or to taste
• 20 turns of the pepper mill, or to taste
• 1 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
• 4 cups of leftover cooked rice
• 1/4 cup chopped green onion
• Hot sauce, for the table

Instructions

Saute the bacon pieces in a cast iron pot until cooked but not crisp. Remove the bacon and set aside. In the bacon drippings, add the onion, bell pepper and celery, cooking until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeno and cook for another minute or so. Add all of the ground meats and cook until lightly browned and cooked through. Do not drain. Add the salt, pepper, Cajun seasoning and return the bacon to the pot; reduce heat to medium, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rice and green onion, stir together, cover and reduce heat to a medium low simmer. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, stirring occasionally. Taste and adjust seasonings. Can also be kept covered on very low heat and allowed to continue to steam until needed. This dish is often the central feature of a meal so you could serve it with a salad and a veggie, but it is often served as a side dish too.

Serve with hot sauce at the table.

Tip: Save some time with this dish by using the seasoning blend (typically onion, bell pepper and celery) available fresh in the produce section or in the frozen foods.

Variations:  You can eliminate the gizzards and add in additional beef or pork, or a combination of the two.  Substitute pork sausage (seasoned raw pork) for part of the ground beef.  Make it Creole Dirty Rice by adding 2 cans of drained Rotel diced tomatoes and 1 (8 ounce) tomato sauce.

Source:  http://www.deepsouthdish.com

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©Deep South Dish

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Posted by Mary on November 29, 2008

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