Ingredients: (8 servings)

1 pound dry red beans

6 cups cold water

6 cups hot water

1 pound smoked pork hocks

1 large onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 bay leaves

½ teaspoon ground red pepper

1 pound smoked sausage (Andouille or Polish)

cooked rice

sliced green onions

Rinse the beans. In Dutch oven, add beans and cover in cold water, boil, simmer 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let stand covered for 1 hour, then drain and rinse beans.

In the same Dutch oven that you soaked the beans in (after draining and rinsing) combine beans, hot water, pork hocks, onion, garlic, bay leaves and red pepper. Bring to boiling, reduce heat and cover. Simmer for 2½ hours until beans are tender, stirring occasionally. If beans are still covered by too much water after this much time, cook an additional ½ hour uncovered.

Remove hocks - return any meat to pot, stir in the sausage and cook gently uncovered for 20-30 minutes or until a thick gravy forms, stirring occasionally (I don't find that it ever gets very 'thick' but it will be a good gravy consistency).

Remove bay leaves and serve over hot cooked rice. Sprinkle with green onions.