Okra smothered with onions, tomatoes and seasoning meat is a traditional favorite of Creole cooks. Sweet Daddy D’s Stewed Okra with Tomatoes and Ham clearly fits in the comfort food category and can be served as a main course or as a side dish. This simple recipe includes smoked meat for flavor, yellow onions for sweetness, young, tender okra and tomatoes all smothered or stewed in their own juices. It’s no mystery why this dish is such a South Louisiana favorite.
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Okra in Louisiana
Okra is one of those fringe vegetables (it is technically a fruit, but we will leave that for now) that many people view with a wary eye. The reason for that is that most people don’t know how to prepare it and a couple of characteristics that leave people scratching their heads. Mainly it can be slimy and it can be tough and woody, neither of which are endearing to most people. Check out the Hints and Tips section below where I address those two issues. Okra is very popular in South Louisiana and is often cooked along with other vegetables or used in soups and gumbos, but it’s also great by itself, fried or pickled. Looking for a treat with a South Louisiana accent? Try adding pickled okra to your next Bloody Mary.
Okra likely originated in Ethiopia centuries ago. It made its way across Africa and into Europe and then eventually to North America by the 18th Century, either directly with the slave trade or via trade routes through the West Indies. It became popular in the southeastern region of the United States probably because servant cooks were familiar with cooking okra. Its likely introduction to Louisiana was during the French colonial days in the early 1700s when it eventually became embedded in the Creole culinary world. The African word for okra is a derivative of the term “gombo” and it’s still called gumbo in some parts of the world. It was a common vegetable in slave gardens and most likely added to French bouillabaisse as a thickener. Adulteration of the African word “gombo” became gumbo and the rest, as they say, is history. Although by its very nature, just about any ingredient can end up in gumbo, okra is almost synonymous with gumbo in general. Okra is actually more likely to be found in creole, seafood style gumbos as opposed to Cajun poultry and meat variations.
Here Is What You Need
There is a complete list of ingredients with quantities in the recipe card below.
Okra. This recipe is great with fresh okra that is young, being harvested within 3 to 5 days sprouting. Since you may need to rely on a farmers market or grocery store, look for okra that is about 3 inches long and somewhat tender. Frozen, cut okra is also very good in this recipe.
Tasso is a highly seasoned piece of smoked pork that is used as an ingredient or seasonings in other dishes. If you've never had tasso, you should give it a try. If you have had it before, then you know you want some more. Here is a great brand of tasso that I use all the time.
Herb and Spice Blend
You’ll need some Creole seasoning, kosher salt and ground black pepper
Equipment
These are the main tools I use for this recipe.
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Here Is What You Do
First...you have a beer. Prepare your equipment, prepare your ingredients and prepare yourself. The secret to inner peace? Maybe, maybe not, but it’s a way to make sure you minimize angst and enjoy the cooking process more! Drink a beer (or however you get in the right frame of mind) while you read the recipe from top to bottom. Make sure you have the ingredients you need and you know what to do with each one.
Preparation the ingredients
With fresh okra, rinse it in cold water, then chop into ½” to ¾” medallions, discarding the stem end and set aside. (If you encounter some gooeyness, that's good-you have some real fresh okra, we can deal with that!). If you are using frozen okra, set them aside in a bowl and don’t worry about defrosting them.
Roughly chop the onions and garlic and place in separate bowls. Drain the tomatoes (if using canned) but reserve the liquid. If using fresh, peel and de-seed the tomatoes and place in a colander to drain. Check out my Lagniappe article to learn how to peel and de-seed a fresh tomato.
Slice the bacon into 1” pieces and dice the tasso or ham into bite-size pieces. Measure the Creole seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper.
Let’s get started cooking...how’s your beer?
Render the bacon and ham
Place the bacon in a cold Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium. When bacon begins to crisp and the fat is rendered, remove the bacon from the Dutch oven. Add the cubed ham or tasso to the bacon grease and fry for about 3 minutes, stirring often.
Smother the Okra
Add the chopped onions to the bacon grease and tasso in the Dutch oven and fry until clear, about 5 to 8 minutes. Add the chopped garlic, kosher salt and ground pepper to the onions and cook for about 2 minutes until the garlic is aromatic.
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the chopped okra and creole seasoning to the Dutch oven. Add the tomatoes by crushing each one by hand as you add them. Stir to combine and simmer, uncovered, for about 30 minutes or until the gooey stuff has cooked out. Stir this regularly making sure it does not stick.
Cover the Dutch oven and continue to cook for about 20 minutes. Remove the cover and simmer for another 20 minutes, or until the okra is very tender and soft, stirring often so it does not stick. If all the liquid has evaporated, you can add a little of the reserved tomato liquid. Taste for seasoning and continue to simmer, uncovered until the okra is tender.
That’s it, all there is to it. Serve immediately as a side dish or over rice as a main course.
Hints and Tips
Will frozen Okra work for this recipe?
Absolutely! Frozen, cut okra is great in this recipe and will not need to be defrosted before adding to the Dutch-oven. Good producers will use young okra for freezing.
How long does okra need to cook?
That depends on a few factors, mainly the okra itself. In this recipe, the okra cooks for an hour (that's just the time the okra is in the Dutch-oven, not the total cooking time). The best result is when the okra somewhat breaks down and is extremely tender. If the okra is young and fresh, this is probably enough tome, but it may take a little longer if the okra is a little bigger. Test a sample and continue cooking if you want it more tender.
Is this a side dish or a main dish?
It can be either. It’s a side dish perfect with just about any Creole or Cajun recipe, or it can be served as the main course. Stewed okra can be served by itself or over rice. You can add shrimp or crawfish as well as smoked sausage or andouille in place of the tasso or smoked ham. If adding shrimp or crawfish, during the prep stage, sprinkle them with some Creole seasoning and set aside until you need them. Make sure to peel and clean the raw shrimp first. Add them towards the end when you uncover the Dutch oven for the final 20 minutes or so.
Why is my okra slimy?
Okra has gained some of its infamous reputation from its sometimes gooey or slimy “mouthfeel” and it’s potential for being tough or fibrous. Okra pods are termed “mucilaginous” meaning they contain “mucilage”, the element that produces that sliminess. On the plus side, the mucilage also contains digestible soluble fiber. To avoid the toughness of okra, it’s important to use young okra no more than 3 or 4 inches in length, even though the young fresh okra contains more of the gooeyness than older okra pods. Both of these characteristics respond well to long cooking processes that smother or stew the okra, so the sliminess will cookout after about 30 minutes, but older, larger okra pods will require a longer cooking time to soften. Full disclosure...I have encountered some okra that is so fibrous and woody that I never did cook them tender.
Can this recipe be made vegetarian?
Sure, just leave out the bacon and ham (obviously) and use vegetable oil, olive oil or margarine in place of the bacon grease. There will be a slight variation in the flavor profile from the original recipe, but it will still be delicious.
Is Okra Nutritious?
Okra is low in calories and contains no saturated fats or cholesterol. It’s a great source of dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins and often included in cholesterol controlling and weight reduction programs. It has some of the highest levels of antioxidants and Vitamin-A which is essential for maintaining healthy mucosa and skin. Okra pods are rich in the B-complex group of vitamins like niacin, vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), thiamin and pantothenic acid and contain good amounts of vitamin-K, a co-factor for blood clotting enzymes required for strengthening of bones. The pods are also a good source of many essential minerals such as iron, calcium, manganese, and magnesium. The mucilage substance provides some digestive help as well. To read more about the okra including nutrition and health benefits check out this article.
How do you store leftovers?
Leftover Stewed Okra can be kept in the fridge for 3 to 5 days or frozen for up to 10 months. For best results, whether preparing for the fridge or the freezer, make sure to let the stewed okra cool to room temperature before placing it in an airtight container. If freezing, store the stewed okra in shallow dishes or vacuum-sealed bags. Defrost overnight in the fridge and then reheat in a saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave.
What should you serve Stewed Okra with Tomatoes and Ham with?
Just about anything, but here are a few ideas:
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Feeling your inner Cajun? Check out these great South Louisiana Recipes from Sweet Daddy D:
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Yeah You Right!
Recipe
Stewed Okra with Tomatoes and Ham
Here's What You Need
- 3 slices bacon chopped into 1" pieces
- ½ pound tasso or smoked ham cubed
- 2 cups yellow onions rough chop-about 2 medium
- 1 tablespoon garlic chopped about 3 cloves
- 4 cups okra sliced
- 28 ounce whole peeled tomatoes drained-about 3 ½ cups
Herb and Spice Blend
- 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Ground black pepper
Here's What You Do
Preparation
- Rinse the okra in cold water, then chop in ½” to ¾" medallions.
- Roughly chop the onions and garlic. Slice the bacon in 1” pieces, dice the tasso or ham into bite-size pieces.
- Drain the tomatoes if using canned. If using fresh, peel and de-seed the tomatoes and place in a colander to drain.
For the Stewed Okra
- Place the bacon in a cold Dutch oven and turn the heat to medium. Fry the bacon until the fat has rendered, then remove the bacon from the pan but leave the grease. About 5 minutes.
- Add the ham or tasso to the bacon grease and fry for about 3 minutes.
- Add the onions to the Dutch oven and fry until clear, about 5 to 8 minutes.
- Add the chopped garlic and kosher salt and ground and cook for about 2 minutes, until the garlic is aromatic.
- Add the sliced okra and Creole seasoning to the onions and cook, uncovered, until gooey stuff is gone, which will take about 30 minutes. Stir often.
- Mix in the tomatoes, cover the Dutch oven and continue to cook for about 10, minutes.
- Remove the cover and simmer for another 20 minutes.
- Taste for seasoning and continue to simmer, uncovered until the okra is tender.
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