Tchoupitoulas Gumbo

This hearty gumbo is full-flavored and great for a crowd. Unlike other gumbos, this recipe calls for butter or lima beans.

Ingredients

1/2 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons Emeril's Original Essence or Creole seasoning [3]
1/4 pound lamb stew meat, such as shoulder or shank, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 pound veal stew meat, such as shoulder or shank, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/4 pound beef stew meat, such as chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound pork butt, cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound bacon, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1/4 pound andouille sausage, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
1/2 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 pound dry white lima beans or butter beans, rinsed and picked over
2 to 2 1/2 quarts Rich Chicken Stock or store-bought low-sodium chicken broth [4]
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Emeril's Kick it Up Red Pepper Sauce or other hot pepper sauce
4 cups steamed white rice, for serving

Combine the flour and 2 teaspoons of the Essence in a shallow dish. In batches, dredge all the cubed meat in the flour, shaking to remove any excess. Set aside.
Cook the bacon in a Dutch oven or other large heavy pot over medium-high heat until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 4 minutes. Remove the bacon and sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
Add half the meat to the fat in the pot and cook, stirring, until evenly browned on all sides. With a slotted spoon, transfer the meat to a platter. Add the vegetable oil, and when it is hot, add the remaining meat and cook, stirring, until browned. Transfer to a platter.
Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, garlic, and the remaining tablespoon of Essence to the pot and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pot, until the vegetables are soft, about 3 minutes. Add the bacon, sausage, and the beans and cook until the beans are warmed through and wrinkly, about 3 minutes. Add the browned meats and 2 quarts of the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 hours, adding up to an additional 2 cups stock if the gumbo gets too thick. Remove from the heat and stir in the Worcestershire and hot sauce.
Spoon the rice into eight large soup bowls. Ladle the gumbo over the rice, and serve immediately.