A black pot of Cajun Pork Jambalaya is a defining Cajun recipe that speaks the language of Louisiana. But as is the case with many Louisiana dishes, there are two distinctly different styles of jambalaya in Louisiana–Creole and Cajun.
A black pot of rural Cajun pork jambalaya is a traditional Cajun recipe. (All photos credit: George Graham)
Perhaps, it is this Cajun recipe that most defines the two culinary cultures. The point is that Creole jambalaya includes tomatoes while traditional Cajun pork jambalaya does not. On the other hand, a Cajun recipe for jambalaya has a smoky, spicy flavor that originates from readily available smokehouse meats along with access to fresh-killed poultry or the bounty of the swamp. These are the building blocks of a tasty jambalaya and improvisation results in innovative combinations that become classics.
I’ve discovered that one key to great Cajun pork jambalaya is to sauté and brown all of the ingredients–meats and vegetables–in a cast-iron pot. This is what gives a Cajun recipe for jambalaya its bronze color and rich flavor. In addition, I like to deglaze the pot with beer before adding the stock and long-grain rice.
But to become a jambalaya master, it is important to start first with a basic rural Cajun pork jambalaya. In all Cajun cooking, this is a dish you will always see at a traditional French Acadian boucherie–the slaughtering of a whole hog. Armed with fresh pork, a variety of smoked sausages along with vegetables, herbs and spices, this Cajun recipe will introduce you to the fundamental principles. Soon you will be ready to jump into jambalaya cooking to explore the delicious depth of Cajun cooking.
- 4 strips of smoked bacon, chopped
- 2 cups diced onion
- 2 cups diced celery
- 2 cups diced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 cups sliced smoked pork sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup sliced andouille sausage, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup diced tasso
- 1 cup diced ham
- ½ cup beer
- 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
- 1 cup diced green onion tops
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- Dash of hot sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 cups uncooked Louisiana long-grain white rice, such as Supreme
- 4 cups chicken stock
- Preheat the oven to 400ºF.
- In a large, heavy cast-iron pot with a heavy lid over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crispy. Remove the bacon, chop into pieces and save for later.
- Add the onions, celery, and bell pepper to the bacon drippings. Cook until translucent and add the garlic. Cook for another 2 minutes and then remove the vegetables to a platter.
- In the same pot, add the sausages, tasso, and ham. Continue to sauté until the meats turn brown, about 5 to 10 minutes. Deglaze the pot by pouring in the beer and scraping the bits from the bottom of the pot while stirring.
- Add the bacon pieces, all of the browned vegetables, parsley, and green onions. Add the cayenne and a couple of shakes of hot sauce along with salt and black pepper to taste.
- Add the rice to the pot and stir until evenly distributed. Add the stock and stir again.
- Here is the important point of jambalaya cooking – cover the pot and place in the hot oven for 1 hour. Open a cold beer and forget about it. Do not stir or even raise the lid on the pot for the first hour. In that hour, all the flavors are coming together, and the rice is gently cooking.
- At the end of 1 hour, take a peek, but do not stir (or it will become sticky and starchy). Make sure most of the stock has been absorbed and take a taste to see if the rice is cooked to at least al dente. If so, turn off the oven, cover the pot and let it continue cooking in the carryover heat of the oven for another 20 minutes.
- When your guests are seated, remove the pot from the oven and place in the middle of the table. Uncover and dig in. Oh, and be sure to have lots of French bread and ice-cold beer.
Cajun Pork jambalaya — a recipe that defines Cajun cooking.
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Will the rice cook properly if I use a 9-qt cast iron pot? It seems larger than the one pictured.
Sallie – Yes, but be sure to cover with a heavy lid and seal in the steam. All the best.
My Grandmother used to make jambalaya with pork short ribs and a lite roux. Do you have a recipe for this? Johnny Murray
Johnny – I do not have that particular recipe, but if you follow my Cajun Pork Jambalaya and substitute pork ribs, you should come close. But rest assured, nothing will ever duplicate the love that went into your grandmother’s black iron pot. All the best.
Just made this and it was delicious, but not nearly as brown as yours. Any idea where I went wrong?
Hey Katy – Browning the meats adds flavor and color to the dish. Try browning a little longer next time. All the best.
My girlfriend, from high school, and her family were from Louisiana close to New Orleans and her mom would make her jambalaya with salt pork and bacon, sometimes sausage. I remember it being just a few ingredients (always tried to get her to teach me the recipe, too big of a secret) but it was so good. This recipe kind of reminds me of that.
Can this recipe be doubled or tripled?
Phylis – Yes, this is easily scalable, but the cooking time will be longer. All the best.
Spent 35 years in south Louisiana and Mississippi; now back in Oklahoma. Sure miss those Cajun and Creole dishes. Make them here but not getting shrimp from the docks just ain’t quite the same. LOL
Ain’t it the truth about that Gulf coast shrimp fresh from the docks!!! I sure miss that myself!!
I am a born Louisiana native and lived there for more than the first decade of my life. To quote my Cajun heritage,(imagine a true Cajun coonie accent as you read) Ooooweee, sha, this Jambalaya recipe looks like the real deal… I garrrruuuunteee! Lol! On a serious note, there are few things to none at all that are better than a good bowl of authentic Cajun Jambalaya! This recipe definitely incorporates some of the basic necessities when making a real jambalaya: a cast iron skillet/pot, and brown up that meat to lock in the juices before you finish it off with a slow cook! 100 % necessary to attain that juicy, tender, fall apart on the fork as you take a bite of meat. I have long since moved away from my Louisiana roots and now reside in land-locked Colorado. The only things I miss about living further down south is being near the ocean (my happy place), being able to get good authentic andouille sausage, and being able to easily get good seafood like shrimp (would be a fabulous addition to this jambalaya recipe) and my favorite seafood on earth … crabs…. oh how I miss those things! I will save this recipe as a starting point next time I decide to cook up a pot of jambalaya for my family. Thanks for actually posting a legitimate jambalaya recipe and not a bland rice dish that happens to have sausage in it. Big thumbs up here.
Can I ask one question regarding the recipe? Do you know if any adjustments to cook time or temperature will need to be made for high altitudes? Here in Colorado where I live we are at a mile high altitude, which is a whole lot higher than where I came from at below sea level in Louisiana. Often times adjustments must be made for the altitude. Are you aware of adjustments need to be made for this recipe? Would hate to mess up the cooking process of the rice by scooping into it before it’s actually cooked properly.
Hey Dana-
Thanks for the great comments and kind words. As for altitude and cooking time, this is mostly adjusted for very precise cooking in pastries and baking rather than a hearty dish like jambalaya. This recipe is very forgiving on cooking time and no adjustments are needed. Please give us an update report on your Mile-High Jambalaya, and let us know how it turns out. All the best to my Rocky Mountain friend.
I just wanted to say thank you, so much! My family has a 2 year old with an extremely discerning pallet, so much so that she won’t even eat a chicken breast. I can make your recipe verbatim (with just dialing back the heat a bit) and for once, my wife and I don’t have to worry about whether or not she’ll eat dinner. And since it’s just the three of us, we’ll easily get three meals out of each batch. In these times, it’s so appreciated that we have one less thing to worry about.
Best regards,
Matt