very Monday in New Orleans is bean day. We have a tradition there, of having red beans every Monday. I can remember coming home from school and getting blasted in the face with the glorious smell of my Mom’s beans. She easily makes the best red beans on the planet. I have tried to get mine as good as hers my entire life. Last weak my wife and I baked and ham. My favorite part of baking a ham is taking the bone and using it in the beans. I love using tasso for this; however, tasso is not sold in ohio. I have not been able to find a butcher here that can make it. I like using the hambone as well for this; and, it is easily something anyone can find anywhere. If you don’t see it for sale at the grocery, ask your butcher for one. If for whatever reason they can’t supply you with one, just purchase a ham steak and cut it up or grab a few ham hocks. Overall beans are a simple dish, especially with a crockpot; which, is how I make mine.
To make this you’ll need:
Trinity:
Diced onion
Diced bell pepper
2 stalks of diced celery
- i add in a diced jalapeno
3-4 toes of garlic minced
1 pound of andouille or green onion sausage
Ham bone, Tasso or ham hocks
Water or chicken stock (i use stock)
Chicken base
3-4 bayleaves
Season with salt, pepper, garlic powder and your favorite Cajun seasoning (season to your liking)
1 pound of dried camellia red beans or red beans of your choice but camellia cream easier.
To make this it is very simple. The night before you plan to cook, add everything to a crock pot except for the Tasso, ham hocks or hambone and cover with stock or water up to about 1/4 to 1/2 an inch above the beans. The next morning add in the Tasso, bone or hock and add more liquid to make sure the liquid is covering the beans, since some should have been absorbed by the beans overnight. After they start to warm up or get hot, add a teaspoon of chicken base and stir it in to incorporate. That little bit of flavor packs a huge wallop.
Set your crock pot to low for 8-10 hours. About 20 minutes before you are ready to eat, mash the beans against the side of the pot or remove a half cup of them and mash them in a bowl then return them to the pot and let simmer for 20 minutes. The mashed beans will give the dish a creamy texture.