Red Beans & Rice

3 tablespoons bacon grease

1/2 Med. Onion – Diced

1 Rib Celery - Diced

1/2 Red Pepper – Diced

1 Hatch Chili – Diced (could substitute Anaheim)

5 Cloves Garlic – Smashed / grind into paste

2 Cups Ham – Chopped

1 Large Link Hot Smoked Sausage – Remove casing / Dice

1/2 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

1/4 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

2 tsp Fresh Thyme

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Cumin

1/2 of a 7 oz Can of Chipotle Sauce

8 Cups Chicken Stock - Hot

2 Cups Water - Hot

4 Cans of Red Beans – rinsed & drained (separated into 2 batches)

4 Cups Cooked White Rice

Directions

In a large pot, heat the bacon grease over medium-high heat.  Add the onions and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the celery and pepper/chili and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from pot but leave the grease behind.

Add the ham and sausage to the pot and brown for about 5 minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium and add about 1/4 cup water and put a lid on it slightly cracked open.  The time here will vary but the idea is to render all the fat out of the sausage and crisp up the ham/sausage.  Mine took about 5 minutes, remove the lid and cook another 5 minutes stirring about every minute.

Add the onion mixture back into the ham/sausage.  Add salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, thyme, paprika, cumin and chipotle sauce.  Stir to combine and cook about 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock and water to the pot.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer covered w/ the lid slightly cracked.  Add in 1/2 the beans.  The remaining half of beans you need to mash up with a fork then add into pot.  Stir to combine.  The smashed beans will thicken the sauce.  Simmer for about 1/2 hour or until the sauce becomes the consistency of a thin gravy. 

Adjust seasonings accordingly and serve over white rice w/ green onions or parsley as a garnish.