Rum substitute?

[lbb87]

I have a black bean recipe that calls for 1 cup dark rum. I don't have rum (or any other alcoholic beverages) and I don't plan on buying any just for a bean recipe. What would happen if I omitted the rum? Is there something non-alcoholic that I could substitute instead?


Here's the recipe (from the Food Network website):

1/2 pound chorizo sausage, diced
1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
1 large carrot, diced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 pound black beans, soaked, cooked until tender and drained well
1 cup dark rum
1/8 cup honey, or more to taste
1/8 cup molasses, or more to taste
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 to 5 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned chicken broth
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.

Cook sausage in a medium saute pan until golden brown and fat has rendered. Remove the sausage with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels. Add the onion and carrot to the pan and cook until soft. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Place the beans in a large bowl, stir in the cooked onion mixture, rum, honey, molasses, sugar, and cooked chorizo. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer the mixture to a casserole or baking dish and pour 3 cups of the stock over. Bake the beans, covered, for 20 minutes. Check to see if the mixture is dry and add more stock, if needed. Continue baking an additional 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven, and fold in the cilantro, if using. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

[grumblebee]

Dark rum has a strong molasses kind of flavour, so maybe adding in more mollasses would provide you with the best flavour. I'd increase the molasses to about 1/2 cup (or more if you like the flavour) and use the larger amount of stock. Perhaps even a bit of apple juice added might help as well... ?

[RDG]

Very interesting recipe...I've copied it.
The use of high gradation alcool gives a back taste that is difficult to imitate. Personally, I don't see variations without alcool. Can't you consider wine? A red wine might be good....Even a red sweet wine...(perhaps)
Perhaps, the best way is....not use anything.

[Andy M.]

I wouldn't add molasses as there is already a lot of honey in the recipe. You probably should add some liquid to replace he rum. You could use wine, broth or a combination.

There is a lot of sweet stuff in this recipe. What's it called??

[Alix]

You can buy rum extract in the grocery store to give it the same flavour without the alcohol. Then you could just up the liquid accordingly.

[licia]

I would leave it out - you may have to add more liquid, chicken broth, water, or such, but it won't hurt to leave it out. There are enough flavors going on.

[auntdot]

I kept staring at the recipe and do not know what the rum will add.

Alcohol does extract certain flavors but a cup of it in this seems to me a bit of a lot.

Cook with alcohol but do not like a boozy flavor in my food, and I have a feeling this will taste a bit like that.

The alcohol might help cut the sweetness of what will be very sweet beans.

Would probably just leave it out and give it a go.

But I am still confused by the recipe.

[jennyema]

I'd just add more stock. Or maybe look up another recipe, as that one seems like it's supposed to be distinctly flavored with rum, as it's titled "honey rum beans."

[bobngreen]

Hi:

don't try to substitute anything for the rum. It will great without the rum, I doubt that you will miss it.


Bob

[Michael in FtW]

Originally Posted by lbb87

What would happen if I omitted the rum?

It wouldn't taste the same - although if you've never had this dish before you wouldn't notice it.

Originally Posted by lbb87

Is there something non-alcoholic that I could substitute instead?

NO! It would be better to leave it out. I'm with bobngreen there.

I'm like auntdot - I've been looking at this recipe trying to figure out why that volume of rum. Only thing I can figure out is based on chemistry and the solubility of the fat from the chorizo and the water solubility of the sugars. Fat and water don't mix - but - alcohol can bind them together so that they can create new flavors (alcohol molecules have a fat end and a water end so they can join the two together).