Sometimes, a recipe carries more than just flavor—it carries history, culture, and sometimes even complicated legacies. This red beans and rice recipe comes from Chef John Besh’s 2015 cookbook Besh Big Easy: 101 Home Cooked New Orleans Recipes. It was shared with me and published here with permission from Chef Besh and his publisher, Andrews McMeel Publishing.
In sharing this red beans and rice recipe, I want to acknowledge the broader context. Chef John Besh’s contributions to New Orleans cuisine are undeniable, and his red beans recipe reflects that deep culinary heritage. At the same time, it’s important to recognize that his legacy has also been shaped by serious and troubling allegations. I believe we can hold space for both truths while still appreciating a dish that means something to so many and not ignoring the complexities behind it.
I share this recipe not as an endorsement of a person, but as part of an ongoing effort to preserve and celebrate the traditions of Monday red beans and rice. It’s about the pot simmering on the stove, the stories we pass down, and the way food connects us across generations and circumstances.
If you want to keep this discussion open about Chef John Besh, any memories of eating his red beans and rice, or about his legacy in New Orleans, please let me know in the comments below.
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Ingredients
- 2 tbsp bacon fat or oil
- 1 onion chopped
- ½ green bell pepper seeded and chopped
- 1 stalk celery chopped
- 1 lbs dried red kidney beans soaked in water overnight and drained
- 1 smoked ham hock
- 3 bay leaves
- salt and pepper
- Tabasco
- 4-6 cups cooked white rice
- 2 green onions chopped
Instructions
- Heat the bacon fat in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat and sweat the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Once the onions become translucent, add the beans, ham hock, bay leaves, and water to cover by 2 inches.
- Raise the heat, bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and cover the pot. Let the beans slowly simmer for 2 hours, stirring from time to time to make sure they do not stick and adding water to keep them covered by at least an inch. Continue cooking the beans until they become so tender they begin to fall apart and become creamy when stirred.
- Remove the ham hock from the pot and take the meat off the bone. Roughly chop and return to the pot. Season with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Serve the beans in bowls topped with white rice and green onions.
Eric Olsson is the food blogger of RedBeansAndEric.com. He publishes new recipes and interviews weekly. He has developed recipes and written articles for the famous Camellia brand in New Orleans, Louisiana. He has been mentioned in Louisiana Cookin‘ magazine and has had recipes featured in Taste of Home magazine – with his Creole Turkey recipe being runner up in their annual Thanksgiving recipe contest. He lives outside of Detroit, Michigan, with his wife and four children.
john olenick
miss you john! get back on tv! we’ll be looking for you ! god bless you john & family .
Patrick G Anderson
E r ic you have no right to say anything negative about John Besh you have not done shit but c opy other peoples stuff.
Red Beans and Eric
Just to clarify, the recipe was shared with me directly by Chef Besh and his publisher, with permission to feature it on my site along with the photo. I always give credit where it’s due and take pride in sharing original content along with content that publicity firms send to go get the word out about a certain project or topic. It’s all mentioned in the post if you cared to read it.
25 employees of his Besh Restaurant Group reported experiencing sexual harassment within the company. The allegations described a workplace culture where male colleagues and supervisors engaged in inappropriate behavior, including unwelcome touching and suggestive comments.
That’s the facts of what happened and everyone has the right to speak negatively about it. I’m not going to support him and that’s why my original interview with him was taken down in 2017 when all this came out.