Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 2 pounds dry red kidney beans, rinsed and picked over (my family prefers pinto beans to kidney beans)
• 1/2 pound salt pork (If pre-sliced, tie together with cooking twine to keep from falling apart)
• 6 fist-sized ham hocks ( I used 3…I use a 12 qt. stock pot and this recipe filled it to capacity)
• 3 or 4 onions, diced
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 4 ribs celery, sliced diagonally
• 1 1/2 -2 cups diced green bell peppers
• 1 1/2 -2 cups diced red belll peppers
• 2 or 3 fresh tomatoes, diced
• 2 (28 ounce) cans whole, peeled tomatoes, plus juice from one of the cans
• 1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce (or 2 16 ounce cans)
• 4-6 heads garlic or garlic powder, enough to cover the whole top of the bean pot (I used 6-8 garlic cloves, minced)
• 3 tablespoons Tabasco sauce, or more
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon cumin
• 1/2 tablespoon dried oregano, or more
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (15-inch) roll pepperoni, sliced and quartered into 3/4 inch chunks (I couldn’t find the roll and used pre-sliced…would prefer chunks)
• 3 (10-inch) kielbasa sausages, sliced and quartered into 3/4 inch chunks
• 3 (10-inch) smoked beef sausages, sliced and quartered
• 1 (1-pound) package hot Italian sausage links, casings removed and browned separately (Optional…I chose not to add…with all the sausages already in the recipe)

Instructions

1. Soak the beans overnight in enough water to cover.
2. The next day, add the salt pork and ham hocks and more water to cover the beans.
3. Cook over medium heat until the beans are beginning to soften, for about 1 1/2 hours.
4. Add more water if necessary.
5. Add the onions, celery, bell peppers, fresh and canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, Tabasco, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, cumin, oregano, thyme, black pepper, pepperoni, kielbasa, and smoked sausage. Cook 1 hour, then add the browned Italian sausage, if using. Cook, uncovered, at least 2 more hours. Turn off stove, cover the pot, and let it sit out overnight.
6. The next day, cook the beans for a few more hours over low. Serve over rice.
7. Garnish with a few green onions, sliced.

By Kix Brooks via KathyMillerTime
Adapted from Cookin' It With Kix: The Art of Celebrating and The Fun of Outdoor Cooking