Sometimes I Fall Down: Red Beans and Rice in Taiwan

As a Southerner living in Taiwan, I got to do what I can to get by. Here goes Red Beans and Rice made in Taiwan with ingredients that can be found in Taiwan.

First of all, rice here is too short. I brought some Arkansas Long Grain Rice back with me last time I visited. Finding good beans is hard, but we've got a big Carrefour as well as a restaurant supply store in town so that works. Cans of stewed tomatoes can be found at either of those places too, and I'm a fan of these "fire roasted" ones for their flavor. Sausage is a real challenge here though, most are all far too sweet. These garlic ones are about as close to tolerable as we're gonna get.

Yeah, they're disappointing. But if we can't even get polish sausage, forget about boudin or andouille.

I cut them crosswise once, then lengthwise in half or quarter. Or both.

Once they're like this, it's time to fry up.

Without a little oil in the pan, this sausage will never caramelize. If you have access to good sausage, you might not need any.

Here's how we start....

...and nice and caramelized is how we finish. Could be nice to throw in a rough-chop mess of garlic and a big-chunk cut onion in with it. I've often thought about throwing in the rice too to turn it into a more flavorful sort of pilaf, but I usually throw this together after work quick-like, and there's no time for waiting for the washed rice to dry before frying it up and I'll be damned if I'm either 1) frying wet rice or 2) not washing rice. I'm a Southerner, not a monster.

Hi, sweet Arkansas long grain. I've got one cup here and I'll add two cups of liquid. If you can only score Asian rice, use a cup and a half of each to have the same amount of final cooked rice.

Here's nasty clouded water on the first wash. We don't like this.

Here's clear water on the third wash. Yeah.

Some people don't rinse their beans before they cook them. Some people are disgusting slobs.

See what we've got coming together now? Isn't this fun?

So, rice plus liquid equals cooked rice, right? Well these tomatoes have a shitton of liquid. Each brand/type will be different, and since I've measured these before I know what's up. But maybe you have a different kind. So drain the liquid offa one can and then just remember that one for if you use it again.

This can gives me just shy of one cup. Since I need two, I'll make up the difference with some water.

You're good to put it in the rice cooker at this point and press go. Um, if you're boring.

I'm not boring. I've got black pepper, chicken bouillon, oregano, paprika, bay leaves, MUFUKKIN ZATARANS, thyme, hickory smoked salt, dried minced onion, and epazote. I forgot to add garlic this time and it's like I don't even know who I am.