Nothing Like Some Red Beans and Rice to Keep You Warm

I will add the history and importance of this dish to my family as soon as I am fully recovered from jet lag. I will also be revamping the whole website. I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is a family favorite of ours.  There are so many different ways you can prepare red beans and rice. It sounds very plain but it actually has amazing complex rich layers of flavor and depth to it. The version I prepared in this recipe is simple and really lets the red beans and the ham showcase itself. 

Red Beans and Rice  8-10 servings with lots of left overs.

equipment- a large stock pot.

14 cups of Chicken Stock (or Water)

24 oz of  Dried Small Red Kidney Beans*

1 1/2 Large Yellow Onions in small dice

5 Tbsp of Chopped Garlic

1.5 lbs of Ham**  diced 

1-2 Kielbasa Sausage sliced 1/2 inch thick

1-2 lbs of Ham Hocks (must have for flavor!)          

Cayenne Pepper                                                                                       
Salt and Pepper

Hot Sauce ( Tabasco)
4 Bay Leaves    

Two turns of Olive Oil for Saute pan.

8 cups of white rice (follow instructions given with rice)

* Sort beans throwing away all broken ones. Soak in water overnight.   

** Choose a ham you like, Smoky, Honey, Tasso

Heat large stock pot and put the two turns of Olive oil in. Add the Onions. Season with Salt and Pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until Onions become translucent. Add Garlic. Cook 1-2 minutes. Add the Chicken stock (water) Ham, Kielbasa, Ham Hocks, Bay Leaves and Beans.  Add the Cayenne Pepper and Hot Sauce. The Amount will depend solely on the amount of heat you want to add to the beans. Turn the heat up under the pot. Bring it to a boil for 6-8 minutes stirring frequently. Cover and turn heat down to low med heat. Let the beans simmer for about 2 hours. Check to see if the beans are soft. (I personally let them cook for 3-4 hours until the ham hocks fall off the bone.) Take the lid off for the last 30-40 minutes. When the ham hocks are falling off the bone remove them from the pot along with the Bay Leaves. Pull the skin and bones off the hock and put the tender meat back in the pot. If the gravy is to watery, you can take a portion of the beans and mash them to thicken up the gravy. Serve over rice. Keep the hot sauce handy do kick up the spice. 

A big tip to amazing Red Beans and Rice... They taste so much better the second and third day! And the gravy does thicken on its own.