There are plenty of great red beans and rice recipes floating around New Orleanians’ kitchens and note cards for centuries. However, the best Nola red beans aren’t found in a restaurant, but at someone’s grandmothers’ table. It’s our Monday meal, traditionally. Red beans were the easiest meal to create on washday, which was Monday. The cooking time would allow for the completion of chores without the threat of scorching the meal. The tradition continues to this day. Here is my take. 1 lb. Red Kidney Beans (preferably Cameilla) The Trinity (onion, celery, and bell pepper finely chopped) 1 Pkg Smoked Sausage (optional) 3 Garlic toes, minced 1 Tsp Thyme 1 Tsp Oregano 1 Tbsp Garlic Powder 3 C Chicken or Vegetable Broth 1 Tbsp Butter Salt to taste Pepper to taste Tabasco to taste 1 Capful of Liquid Smoke Bay Leaf Parsley, finely chopped

Soak your beans!! Overnight. This helps in the cooking process, so please try not to skip this. If you forget to soak them, use the quick soak method. Bring a pot of beans to boil, allowing the boil to take place for two minutes. Turn off the heat and cover for an hour before cooking.

In a pot, render the chopped smoked sausage until lightly browned. Remove from the pot and set aside. In the rendered oil from the sausage, sauté the trinity vegetables until wilted. Add and sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, a few minutes.

Add the presoaked beans to the pot and stir to incorporate. Add the broth until the beans are covered. Season the broth with the thyme, oregano, garlic powder, salt, pepper, liquid smoke and bay leaf. Bring the pot to a boil and reduce the heat to a medium low.

Partially cover the pot and cook low and slow for the next couple of hours, stirring intermittently.

When the beans have softened, remove a cupful. In the cup, smash the removed beans, butter and Tabasco sauce, creating a slurry. Add the mashed beans back to the pot to serve as a thickening agent. Stir to incorporate. It will create a creamy texture. If you find it too thick, add water to attain the texture you'd like. Garnish with freshly chopped parsley and serve immediately with rice. Enjoy.

Please Note* To create vegetarian beans, omit the sausage and sauté the Trinity using one Tbsp of oil. While I used smoked sausage, hot sausage, smoked meats or pickled pork are also good seasoning options