Redneck Caviar [Cowboy Caviar]

Redneck Caviar, also known as Cowboy Caviar, is a delicious and hearty salsa made of black beans, black eyed peas, tomatoes, onions, cilantro, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Grab some chips and dip in!

If you consider yourself to be an aficionado of all things dips and salsa, I strongly recommend giving Redneck Caviar a try. It’s meaty, flavorful and the perfect accompaniment, not only to a crunchy tortilla chip, but also as a garnish sprinkled over tacos, grilled chicken, baked fish … the possibilities are endless.

How did Redneck Caviar get its name?

Redneck Caviar is a salsa-like dip made from black beans, black eyed peas, and various other chopped vegetables marinated in oil and vinegar. It’s typically served with tortilla chips. Contrary to its name, Redneck Caviar has nothing to do with the very expensive appetizer of salted fish eggs usually served in a fancy, upscale restaurant. In fact, it contains absolutely no seafood at all. So how did it get its name?

In the 1940’s a woman named Helen Corbitt served the dip at the Driskill Hotel, a very fancy luxury hotel still in operation in Austin, Texas. Guests began calling the dip caviar as a joke. Sometimes this dip is also known as cowboy caviar or Texas cavia.

Ingredients and tools you will need

Other than a bit of chopping, there is no cooking required. To make Redneck Caviar, you’ll need:

• 1 bunch fresh cilantro
• 5 Roma tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled
• 1/2 red onion, peeled
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1 whole medium jalapeno pepper, halved and seeded
• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can black eyed peas, drained
• 1 (15-oz.) can whole kernel corn drained
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Food processor – as I mentioned, there is a bit of chopping required. A food processor definitely makes short work of this task. You don’t even need a full sized processor — I’ve been getting by with this little four cup mini processor for years. If you don’t have a food processor, no worries. You can still chop everything by hand.

How to make Redneck Caviar

Start by rinsing one bunch of cilantro under water to remove any residual dirt. Pat dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, gently cut along the stems to remove the leaves. Discard the stems. Place the leaves in the bowl of the food processor.

Next, roughly chop five roma tomatoes. I prefer roma tomatoes for something like this because they are less juicy than some of the slicing varieties. You’ll end up with less liquid in the bowl. Place the tomatoes in the food processor with the cilantro. Cut up both a medium yellow onion and ½ of a small red onion into quarters and add them to the bowl, along with two whole cloves of garlic.

Carefully remove the stem end from one jalapeño pepper and gently scrape out the inner white rib and seeds. This is where the concentration of capsaicin, the stuff that makes jalapeños hot, is located. You may want to wear rubber gloves while you do this to prevent any residual capsaicin from getting on your fingers. Once you’ve done this, toss the jalapeno into the food processor with the tomato, onions, garlic and cilantro and pulse until the vegetables are evenly mixed but slightly chunky.

Pour everything into a large mixing bowl. Add one 15 oz. can of rinsed and drained black beans, one 15 oz. can of rinsed and drained black eyed peas, one 15 oz. can of drained whole kernel corn and ½ cup of chopped green onions.

Finally, pour in four tablespoons of olive oil and two tablespoons of red wine vinegar. Stir everything together until all the ingredients are ell combined and evenly coated with the oil and vinegar. Cover the bowl with a lid or plastic wrap and chill for at least six hours. Stir the salsa occasionally so all the ingredients continue to soak up the marinade. I recommend waiting to season the salsa with salt and pepper just before serving. The salt will draw out the liquid from the veggies and cause the dip to be more watery. Serve the dip chilled with tortilla chips.

Storage

Leftover Redneck Caviar should be stores covered in the refrigerator. Consume within five days. This dip can not be frozen.

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