It's time, my friends, for a little Red Beans and Rice.

First things first, you gotta get your meat: Smoked ham hocks, Virginia ham, Andoullie sausage, and Kielbasa.


Then, we need what They call "trinity": onions, bell peppers, and celery.


Let's not forget your spices (shown – paprika, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper, oregano. Not shown: bay leaf, salt):


I don't think we've got enough kinds of pork being represented, so let's bring it up to Five, and sauté the trinity in bacon fat.


You don't think I'd forget the garlic, do you? Don't skimp.


When veggies are soft, dump in the diced meat.


Cook for about 5 minutes, and then add the hocks.


Season the mix with your spices, to taste. Please note that the thyme and cayenne go a long way, but you can go a bit heavier with the other stuff.


Dump in some red wine, & deglaze.


Add 3 cans of Red Kindey beans, and enough stock to cover the meat, and simmer uncovered for an hour.


After an hour, remove the hocks, and pick the meat off. Return both meat and picked hocks to the pot. Continue to simmer uncovered for another hour. If you want the mixture to be thicker, smash the beans against the side of the pot. The starch and proteins from the smashed beans will thicken it up very easily.


You remembered to make rice, right?


Serve with some chopped parsley or cilantro on top. Hot sauce to taste.