Dirty Rice

Dirty Rice 1 (14-ounce) can chicken broth 1 bay leaf 1 1/2 cups long-grain rice 1 tablespoon bacon grease or Vegetable oil 1/2 pound ground beef 1 medium onion, chopped 1 celery rib, chopped 1/2 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped 1/2 cup finely chopped chicken livers 2 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons Cajun Seasoning, I like Tony Chachere's 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme Set aside 1/2 cup of the chicken broth and pour remaining chicken broth in a medium saucepan. Add 1 1/2 cups water and bay leaf. Bring to boil. Add rice, cover and cook 20 minutes. Heat bacon grease in a cast iron Dutch oven. Add ground beef and crumble it with a wooden spoon. Once you have the ground beef crumbled, add onion, celery, and green pepper. Cook stirring occasionally until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are softened. Add chicken livers and garlic and continue to cook 5 minutes. Add salt, Cajun seasoning, and thyme. Add reserved chicken broth and scrape the bottom of the pan to release all the brown pieces. Let simmer 1 minute. Remove bay leaf from rice and add rice to Dutch oven. Stir it into the ground beef mixture. Keep the heat on while you stir. Once it is combined well, remove from heat.