Ingredients

2 onions, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 stalk celery, diced

2 tbl bacon fat

1 lb dried red kidney beans

2 smoked ham hocks

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper

salt

pepper

Tabasco

3 cups cooked white rice

Preparation

  1. Cook enough bacon to make 2 tbl bacon grease.

  2. Saute the onions, bell pepper & celery in the bacon grease with the bacon in a heavy soup pot over medium-high heat.

  3. Once the onions become translucent (about 15 minutes), add kidney bans, ham hocks, bay leaves & cayenne, then add water to cover by 2 inches.

  4. Increase the heat & bring the water to a boil. Cover the pot, reduce the heat to low & allow the beans to slowly simmer for 2 hours. Periodically stir the beans to make sure they don’t scorch on the bottom of the pot, adding water if necessary, keeping the beans covered by an inch or more of water. Continue cooking the beans until they are creamy & beginning to fall apart when they are stirred.

  5. Remove ham hock meat from the bones, roughly chop it & add it back to the pot of beans.

  6. Season with salt, black pepper, & Tabasco to your taste. Serve with white rice.