Name: Cajun Red Beans
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: Dried pinto beans - 1 pound; Bacon grease - 3 tablespoons; Chopped salt pork - ¼ cup; Chopped yellow onion - 1 ½ cups; Chopped celery - ¾ cup; Chopped green bell pepper - ¾ cup; Freshly ground black pepper - ½ teaspoon; Chipotle chile powder - 1 pinch; Smoked sausage, split in half and cut into 1-inch pieces - ½ pound; Bay leaves - 3; Chopped fresh parsley - 2 tablespoons; Chopped fresh thyme - 2 teaspoons; Chopped garlic - 3 tablespoons; Water as needed - 3 tablespoons

Ingredients for - Cajun Red Beans

1. Dried pinto beans 1 pound

2. Bacon grease 3 tablespoons

3. Chopped salt pork ¼ cup

4. Chopped yellow onion 1 ½ cups

5. Chopped celery ¾ cup

6. Chopped green bell pepper ¾ cup

7. Freshly ground black pepper ½ teaspoon

8. Chipotle chile powder 1 pinch

9. Smoked sausage, split in half and cut into 1-inch pieces ½ pound

10. Bay leaves 3

11. Chopped fresh parsley 2 tablespoons

12. Chopped fresh thyme 2 teaspoons

13. Chopped garlic 3 tablespoons

14. Water as needed 3 tablespoons

How to cook deliciously - Cajun Red Beans

1 . Stage

Place the pinto beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water. Soak beans 15 minutes; drain and rinse.

2 . Stage

Heat bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir salt pork in hot grease for 1 minute. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, black pepper, and chipotle powder to salt pork; cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.

3 . Stage

Stir smoked sausage, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme into salt pork mixture; cook and stir until sausage is browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.

4 . Stage

Stir beans into sausage mixture and add enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and transfer beans mixture to a slow cooker.

5 . Stage

Cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce to Low and cook until beans are tender, adding water as necessary, about 6 hours more.

6 . Stage

Mash about 1/4 the beans against the side of the slow cooker crock with the back of a heavy spoon. Continue cooking on Low until beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove bay leaves.