RB&R

I'm cooking a mess of red beans & rice so I figured I'd post my mom's recipe.

Thanks Mom!










Susan Sisler to me




OK, this is what I do . .

Day #1
Cover half a picnic ham (or a couple of ham hocks) with water and simmer slowly (about 3 hours) until the meat falls off the bone. Strain the ham stock & remove fat & bones. Store in refrigerator.
Sort & wash 1 pound of dried small red beans & soak in water over night.

Day #2
Drain soaked beans, add them to ham stock & simmer.
Chop 1 white onion, 1 bunch green onions, 3-4 cloves garlic & saute in 1/4 cup butter, & add to beans. (Watch out! Don't let the onions brown or scorch. Just sweat them.)
Add red pepper & salt to taste. (The ham is salty, so it shouldn't need much salt.)
Cut up 1 package of smoked sausage links & add to beans.
Cook everything for about 3 hours. Serve with white rice, Tabasco sauce, and French bread.

[Some shortcuts - You could get away with using a thick slice of ham and simmer it for a while in water. You can use canned red beans. This is all cheating, but the result is pretty similar.]

I don't really measure anything, so the amounts are all estimates. I think you can go too crazy with the garlic and red pepper. Restraint works better. Also, I don't add Tabasco sauce when I'm cooking. It works better as a condiment, I think.