Cajun Style Red Beans

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried pinto beans
• 3 tablespoons bacon grease
• ¼ cup chopped salt pork
• 1 ½ cups chopped yellow onion
• ¾ cup chopped celery
• ¾ cup chopped green bell pepper
• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 pinch chipotle chile powder
• ½ pound smoked sausage, split in half and cut into 1-inch pieces
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 3 tablespoons chopped garlic
• water as needed

Ingredient Image

Step 1

Place the pinto beans in a large bowl and cover them with a few inches of cool water. Let them soak for about 15 minutes, then drain and rinse well.

Step 2

Heat up the bacon grease in a big pot over medium-high heat. Toss in the salt pork and cook it for a minute, stirring to get it going. Add the onion, celery, bell pepper, black pepper, and chipotle powder, and cook everything together until the veggies soften, about 4 minutes.

Step 3

Now, stir in the smoked sausage, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme. Keep cooking and stirring until the sausage is nicely browned, roughly another 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook just until you can smell its aroma, about a minute more.

Step 4

Pour in the beans and add enough water to just cover everything. Bring it all to a boil, then take the pot off the heat and transfer the whole mixture to your slow cooker. Cook on high for an hour, then lower the heat to low and let it go for about 6 more hours, adding water if it starts to get too thick.

Step 5

Once the beans are soft, mash about a quarter of them against the side of the slow cooker with the back of a heavy spoon. This will help thicken the dish and make it creamy. Let it keep cooking on low for another 15 to 20 minutes until everything is tender and creamy. Don’t forget to fish out the bay leaves before serving!