gourmet girls

New Orleans Style Red Beans and Rice

1 lb dry red beans
8 cups water
1 meaty hambone or two hamhocks (I used bone-in ham steaks for more meat)
2 onions, chopped (not nearly this much in ours)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
few shakes of Tabasco sauce ( I left this out so you can self-season)
salt and pepper to taste.

night before: soak beans in water

Place all ingredients in big, heavy pot. when it comes to a boil, lower heat and simmer about 1 1/2 hours, although longer is fine. When the beans are soft, mash some against the side of the pot. (Or use hand mixer to do it). Serve over hot rice.

If you forget to soak the beans, no problem. It will double your cooking time and you will probably have to add a little water halfway.