Cajun Red Beans Recipe
- 1 pound dried pinto beans
- 3 tablespoons bacon grease
- 1/4 cup chopped salt pork
- 1 1/2 cups chopped yellow onion
- 3/4 cup chopped celery
- 3/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pinch chipotle chile powder
- 1/2 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
- Place the pinto beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water. Soak beans 15 minutes; drain and rinse.
- Heat bacon grease in a large pot over medium-high heat. Cook and stir salt pork in hot grease for 1 minute. Add onion, celery, bell pepper, black pepper, and chipotle powder to salt pork; cook and stir until the vegetables are soft, about 4 minutes.
- Stir smoked sausage, bay leaves, parsley, and thyme into salt pork mixture; cook and stir until sausage is browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
- Stir beans into sausage mixture and add enough water to cover the beans. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, and transfer beans mixture to a slow cooker.
- Cook on High for 1 hour. Reduce to Low and cook until beans are tender, adding water as necessary, about 6 hours more.
- Mash about 1/4 the beans against the side of the slow cooker crock with the back of a heavy spoon. Continue cooking on Low until beans are tender and creamy, 15 to 20 minutes more. Remove bay leaves.
