Dirty food is bad. Dirty rice is good. In the latter, “dirt” means bits and pieces of turkey or chicken giblets, liver, and maybe skin that are cooked with the rice, giving it a smudged look and a rich, chickeny flavor. While enough dirt can make it a meal, dirty rice usually comes as a side dish with roast duck, smoked sausage, pork chops, or fried chicken. A Cajun dish almost always made with the holy trinity of pepper, celery, and onion, dirty rice is found on soul food menus throughout the Deep South.
Louisiana: A Cane River meat pie is accompanied by dirty rice and gravy.