Cajun Red Beans & Rice

Pick through beans and remove any pieces of dirt or shriveled beans. Rinse well and drain in a colander. Then place the drained beans in a large pot.

Dice the bacon and sausage and place in heated stock pot with about 2 tablespoons cooking oil. Saute bacon until cooked half way through (not quite crisp). Leave grease in pot and add chopped onion, celery and bell pepper and saute until onion is translucent. Add garlic and saute until fragrant, do not brown.

Add 12 cups of water to bean pot and add ham hocks. Bring mixture to a boil and reduce heat to simmer. Add remaining ingredients, everything except green onions and the cooked rice, and cook very slowly, partially covered, for 2 to 3 hours. Stir the mixture about every 30 minutes.

Beans are ready to serve when they are very tender and easily mashed with the back of a spoon and the liquid is thickened. At this point, I use my stick blender and puree 2/3 of the beans to make a thick “gravy”. Then I add the gravy back in and combine it with the rest of the mixture.

Serve over steamed white rice and with garlic or French bread.