Cajun Jambalaya – Guru Style
In the world of Cajun and Creole food there are a few standards. Gumbo, etouffee, brown gravy, and of course, jambalaya.
This one pot wonder, like most things Cajun, grew out of necessity. When a poor Cajun or Creole mom had many mouths to feed, but not much protein, this rice rich dish was there to save the day.
The word itself mean a mish mash or mix-up, and that’s exactly what jambalaya is. A few scrap pieces of whatever kind of protein you would have on hand cooked in rice.
What differentiates jambalaya from a traditional rice and gravy dish is that the rice is cooked in the braising liquid. This infuses the rice with the flavors in the pot and makes for an incredibly rich and flavorful dish.
Guru Style
The Gurus smash this concept together with their grilled and smokey style of cooking to put a unique, and delicious, twist on the traditional Cajun dish.
By smoking the pork then browning it to make the braising liquid the flavor and color are off the charts!
The whole dish is then cooked over a hardwood fire which adds even more smokey goodness to the dish.
They also added a Cajun chimichurri sauce which bring a bright vinegar flavor to balance all of that richness.
Ingredients
- 4-5 lb Boston butt roast
- 2-3 tablespoons Yellow mustard
- 2 lbs Cajun smoked sausage
- 2 tablespoons Olive oil
- 1 large Yellow onion (chopped)
- 1 large Green bell pepper (chopped)
- 4-5 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 48 ounces Stock of choice (beef, pork, chicken, vegetable)
- 3 cups Medium grain white rice
- 2 bunches Green onions
- 1 cup Olive oil
- ½ cup Apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon White sugar
- Louisiana Love Seasoning Blends to taste
Method
- Prepare smoker to reach a temperature of 225˚.
- Coat roast well with mustard and season heavily with Louisiana Love.
- Place roast in smoker for 2-2½ hours.
- Note: Internal temperature isn’t important as the roast will be cooked further.
- Remove and allow to cool.
- Slice sausage into roughly ½ inch pieces.
- Place large, heavy pot over medium-high hardwood fire and add oil.
- Once hot, add sausage, onions, and bell pepper.
- Brown well stirring often until onions are translucent and dark, but not burnt.
- Cut roast into one-inch cubes.
- Remove sausage mixture from pot, and add roast pieces, browning well.
- Add sausage mixture back to pot, along with the garlic, and deglaze with stock making sure to scrape the bottom very well.
- Add Louisiana Love Seasoning to taste.
- Once boiling, add the rice and let come to boil again, then reduce to simmer and cover.
- Cook for 15-20 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed and the rice is tender.
- Note: Avoid opening the pot as too much moisture will escape. It’s ok to check once at about the 10–12-minute mark, stirring to make sure the bottom isn’t scorching. If the rice is still hard but there is no liquid remaining, add 1-2 cups more. Adjust fire as needed.
- While it is cooking, lightly coat one bunch of green onion with olive oil, chop the other bunch, and reserve.
- Place the oiled green onion stalks on the grill, cook until charred, remove, and chop.
- In a bowl add the grilled green onions, olive oil, vinegar, sugar, and Louisiana Love to taste, stirring well to combine.
- Remove lid, stir well, and check rice for doneness.
- Taste and adjust seasoning.
Try your jambalaya with some Cajun chimichurri for a unique flavor!
Stay hungry!