Red Beans and Rice

Directions

1. 1
   You need a large heavy pot to cook this.
2. 2
   wash and soak beans overnight or at least a few hours.
3. 3
   in your large pot add butter and simmer the onions and garlic till soft.
4. 4
   add soaked beans to pot.
5. 5
   add enough water to cover beans by two inchs.
6. 6
   bring to heavy boil for 10 minutes stirring often so beans do not stick to pot.
7. 7
   turn to medium heat add spices and sauces continuing to stir every 5 to 10 minutes.
8. 8
   after about 30 minutes on medium heat turn to low heat and let cook down for at least 1 hour stirring every 20 or 30 minutes preventing beans from sticking.
9. 9
   If you find the beans have stuck , do not scrape them .
10. 10
    Just let them stay on the bottom, the rest of the beans will be fine.
11. 11
    Make sure to keep adding water as the beans cook keeping the water level at a point that the beans will stir and not become pasty.
12. 12
    You will not add water the last 30 minutes of cooking so the beans will thicken up a bit.
13. 13
    You do not want watery beans.
14. 14
    Cut and add the sausage the last 45 minutes of cooking time if it is a short cook (under 2 hrs) or the last two hours if it is a long cook (4 hrs).
15. 15
    Personally I like the long cook as the beans get softer have develop a better flavor.
16. 16
    I like to skin the casing from my sausage and cut into thin slices or 1 in slices quartered.
17. 17
    About 30 minutes before serving cook rice you favorite way so that it is fluffy and not sticky.
18. 18
    My favorite way is to bring water to a boil in a large pot, enough to cover rice by 4 or more inches.
19. 19
    Wash rice in a colander and add to boiling water.
20. 20
    Boil till rice is soft to the bite test adding water to the pot often keeping it above the rice level by an inch or two at all times.
21. 21
    Remember to stir the rice often keeping it from sticking to the pan and clumping.
22. 22
    Once done, pour rice into colander and run under cold water stirring constantly removing excess starch (1 min).
23. 23
    Set aside.
24. 24
    To reheat rice simply run under hot water in colander.
25. 25
    As a general rule of thumb serve 1 part rice 2 parts beans.
26. 26
    This is a basic recipe add more or less spice and salt to suit your taste.