Dirty Rice
Source: Dinosaur Barbecue Cookbook
This is the ultimate "anything goes" dish. All you need is some sausage and any kind of raw or cooked meat you might have on hand. We used a tasty mix of sausage, chicken, pulled pork and ham. The only thing you can't skip are the chicken livers. That's what makes Dirty Rice dirty and gives it its deep, rich flavor. We've been servin' it every Wednesday as a featured side, and we've found that Central New Yorks really appreciate this frugal New Orleans specialty. Its also good as a stuffing for Cornish Hens, pork chops or turkey.
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped green pepper
1 or 2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced
Kosher salt and black pepper
2 T minced garlic
1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut in 2-inch cubes
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
1/4 pound leftover ham, cut in strips or cubes (about 1 cup)
1/4 pound leftover meat of any kind, shredded (about 1 cup)
1/2 pound chicken livers, pureed in a food processor
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 bay leaf
1 1/2 cups long grain rice
Set a dutch oven on the burner. Pour in the oil and get it nice and hot over medium-high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers, and jalapenos. Season with salt and pepper. Cook til tinged with brown, then add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
Toss in the cubed chicken and cook, stirring, til the pieces are coated with the veggies. Crumble in the sausage and keep cooking and stirring til it loses it's pink color. Toss in the remaining meats and the liver puree.
Douse the meats with the broth and add the cayenne, cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
Cover and turn the heat down low. Cook for 20 minutes without stirring. Pull the pot off the stove and remove the bay leaf. Now give it a stir and it's ready to serve.
Feeds 4 as a main dish course or 8 as a side dish or stuffing portion.