Ingredients
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2 tablespoons vegetable oil
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1 cup onion, chopped
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1 bell pepper, chopped
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1/2 cup celery, chopped
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1 teaspoon salt
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
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1 teaspoon dried thyme
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2 bay leaves
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1 smoked ham hock
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12 ounces smoked sausage, cut cross-wise into 1/4 thick slices
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1 lb dried red beans or 1 lb red kidney beans, rinsed, sorted, soaked overnight and drained
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3 tablespoons garlic, chopped
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10 cups water
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steamed rice
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1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large saucepan over med-high heat. Sauté the onions, bell pepper, celery, salt, cayenne, black pepper and thyme for about 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves, ham and sausage and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes
- Add the beans, garlic and 10 cups water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and simmered uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 2 hours.
- Add more water if the mixture becomes dry and thick.
- After about 2 hours of initial cooking use a wooden spoon to mash about half of the mixture against the side of pot.
- Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for about another hour or until the mixture is creamy and the beans are soft.
- Add more water if it becomes too thick. The mixture should be soupy but not watery.
- Remove the bay leaves and serve with steamed rice.