PALEO CAJUN DIRTY "RICE"
PALEO CAJUN DIRTY RICE

Time again for some more good ol' Cajun cooking! Dirty rice is a popular Cajun dish that is usually made with chicken livers and/or giblets and some ground beef or pork. This paleo friendly recipe does not include any liver or giblets, but feel free to add them if you like! Instead I added in some sliced pork sausage and ground beef. You can adjust the level of heat in this dish by decreasing or increasing the amount of cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes that you use in the spice mixture.
To "rice" the cauliflower you can either grate it with a large side of a cheese grater, or throw it into a blender of food processor and pulse a few times until it forms a rice shape. Every time I try using a cheese grater it reminds me I need to work out my arms a lot more, so I usually opt for the food processor. If I do use the food processor or blender method I usually do it in small batches so the pieces are more evenly riced.
I find that it is better to cook in batches when cooking with cauliflower rice, otherwise throwing everything in the pan for a long time can cause the cauliflower to get soggy. You can also use multiple pans at once if you want to speed up the cooking time, just make sure to call "not it" when it's time to do the dishes.
To "rice" the cauliflower you can either grate it with a large side of a cheese grater, or throw it into a blender of food processor and pulse a few times until it forms a rice shape. Every time I try using a cheese grater it reminds me I need to work out my arms a lot more, so I usually opt for the food processor. If I do use the food processor or blender method I usually do it in small batches so the pieces are more evenly riced.
I find that it is better to cook in batches when cooking with cauliflower rice, otherwise throwing everything in the pan for a long time can cause the cauliflower to get soggy. You can also use multiple pans at once if you want to speed up the cooking time, just make sure to call "not it" when it's time to do the dishes.
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Ingredients:
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 pork sausage links (nitrate free/organic), sliced
- 1 large cauliflower, (about 2 pounds)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- Hot sauce (for serving)
CAJUN SEASONING MIX:
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
Equipment:
- Large skillet
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Food processor or Blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
Directions:
1. Chop the cauliflower into florets. Working in batches, pulse a few florets at a time in a food processor or blender until the cauliflower pieces are the size and shape of rice (be careful not to over-blend!). Set the riced cauliflower aside.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp. of the lard/bacon fat or tallow and allow to get hot. Add the sliced sausage to the pan and heat until the sausages are cooked through and slightly crispy around the edges. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add another 1/2 Tbsp. of lard/bacon fat or tallow to the pan. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery to the pan and stir for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the ground beef to the pan and and sprinkle in the seasoning mixture, stirring to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the ground beef is browned, stirring frequently. Remove the ground beef mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Turn the heat to high, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow to the pan and allow to get hot. Add the riced cauliflower and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until a few pieces of the cauliflower start to turn light brown, stirring frequently.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage and ground beef mixture back to the pan, stirring to combine. Make sure everything is heated through and add additional sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite paleo-friendly hot sauce and enjoy!
- 1 pound ground beef
- 4 pork sausage links (nitrate free/organic), sliced
- 1 large cauliflower, (about 2 pounds)
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 medium red bell pepper, chopped
- 1 medium green bell pepper, chopped
- 2 stalks celery, chopped
- 2 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow
- Hot sauce (for serving)
CAJUN SEASONING MIX:
- 1 1/2 tsp. sea salt
- 1 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. onion powder
- 1 tsp. paprika
- 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp. dried thyme
- Dash of red pepper flakes (optional)
Equipment:
- Large skillet
- Cutting board
- Chef knife
- Food processor or Blender
- Measuring cups and spoons
Directions:
1. Chop the cauliflower into florets. Working in batches, pulse a few florets at a time in a food processor or blender until the cauliflower pieces are the size and shape of rice (be careful not to over-blend!). Set the riced cauliflower aside.
2. Place a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1/2 Tbsp. of the lard/bacon fat or tallow and allow to get hot. Add the sliced sausage to the pan and heat until the sausages are cooked through and slightly crispy around the edges. Remove from pan and set aside.
3. Add another 1/2 Tbsp. of lard/bacon fat or tallow to the pan. Add the onion, garlic, bell pepper and celery to the pan and stir for about 3 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften. Add the ground beef to the pan and and sprinkle in the seasoning mixture, stirring to combine. Cook for another 5 minutes or until the ground beef is browned, stirring frequently. Remove the ground beef mixture from the pan and set aside.
4. Turn the heat to high, add the remaining 1 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow to the pan and allow to get hot. Add the riced cauliflower and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until a few pieces of the cauliflower start to turn light brown, stirring frequently.
5. Reduce the heat to medium and add the sausage and ground beef mixture back to the pan, stirring to combine. Make sure everything is heated through and add additional sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve with your favorite paleo-friendly hot sauce and enjoy!