Recipe by Jolie Meaux
Smoked Meat White Beans
Makes 8 to 10 servings
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound smoked sausage, sliced
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion
- ½ cup finely diced green bell pepper
- ½ cup finely diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 pound great Northern beans, soaked overnight
- 4 to 6 cups Smoked Meat Stock (recipe follows) or pork or beef stock
- 1 to 2 tablespoons Cajun/Creole seasoning
- 1 bay leaf 2 smoked ham hocks or 1 pound smoked pork neck bones (reserved meat from Smoked Meat Stock if applicable)
- Hot cooked rice, to serve
Instructions
- In a Dutch oven, heat the oil over medium heat until it’s just beginning to smoke. Add the sliced sausage and cook until the sausage is browned and its oils begin to render. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the sausage to a paper towel–lined plate and set aside.
- To the remaining oil in the pot, add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables are softened and translucent.
- Stir in the beans, 4 cups of stock, seasoning, bay leaf, and the reserved smoked meat (if using). Mix well to combine.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring every 20 minutes and adding more liquid as needed to keep the beans submerged.
- Once the beans are tender, choose your preferred texture: serve as is for a brothy consistency, or mash about half the beans for a creamier dish. Serve over cooked rice.
Smoked Meat Stock
Makes about 16 cups
Ingredients
- 3 to 4 pounds smoked meat (such as ham hocks, pork necks, turkey wings, etc.)
- 16 cups water
- 2 bell peppers, halved
- 2 to 3 celery ribs, roughly chopped
- 1 to 2 onions, halved 2 bay leaves
