Red Beans & Rice w/ Smoked Ham Hocks

• Rinse Beans off under cold water & wash vegetables
  

The Holy Trinity (Onion, Celery Bell Pepper)

• Make small chop/dice, Onions, Celery Poblano(or Bell Pepper)
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• In a small pot, sweat the vegetables and allow them to start releasing their natural water. It's good to add a little color, small amount browning to the vegetables. Equals more flavor. Also, browning the butter a little bit is nice. But be careful not to burn the butter. Butter has milk solids in it and can ruin the dish with the flavor of burnt milk. Brown the butter over medium heat. Then transfer the cooked vegetables to a large stock pot the Red Beans will also be cooked in.
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• Then add the Hamhocks-
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• Andouille sausage-
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• Beef bones & Garlic-
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• Beef stock and Water-
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• Cover with lid and bring to a boil. If you're using a bunch of beef bones, watch the surfaces after boiling for impurities and scrap them off. After the boil lower to very low, keep covered for 3 to 4 plus hours.

The consistency

• After 2 plus hours, the beans will be soft to the touch. The longer cooking time is for the hammocks to soften and release the meat from the bone. Think of it like braising pot roast. Longer is usually better in the way of softness. The beans are a natural thinking agent. If you would like the soup to be thicker the trick is to smash the beans against the side of the pot. The split beans will mix with the stock and water and thicken. This is a traditional method.

Rice Cookery

• Always best to follow the label on the package.
• If you're cooking basmati rice, which is long grain rice(traditional)

Recipe

• Cup of rice
• One & ¾ Cup of water.
• Bring to the boil and reduce to low heat.
• Cook covered for 20 to 25 minutes on low heat.