Red Beans and Rice

Jen at Frugal Upstate is posting meals using different ingredients each week. This week it is beans. This recipe is not the fast version but is the slow authentically cajun sooo good version.

I soak a bag of red beans overnight.
You need 10 cups of chicken stock so either use a homemade stock, cans, or what I do. I add the bouillon cubes to water and heat to make a stock. I only use about 6 cubes per 10 cups though and it is fine since you are adding seasoning.
I then saute a cut up onion and 1 lb of Hickory Farms Smoked Sausage cut into cubes in 1 big spoon of bacon grease(about 3 TBSP). I add a tsp or so of chopped garlic and saute a minute. Remove the sausage and onion to a pot. Add about 1/2 cup of the stock and stir to loosen all the pan drippings. Slowly add more as needed to get all the drippings wet and incorporated in some broth. This is all your flavor so do not skip this!
In a large pot add the stock, rinsed beans, sausage and onion, pan drippings, a pinch of cayenne, 3 bay leaves, 2 TBSP parsley, 2 tsp thyme, a ham hock. Bring to a boil then reduce to medium low and cook uncovered for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. If beans become too thick add 1/2 cup of water or broth at a time. Take 1/4 cup beans from pot and mash with the back of a spoon. Add back to pot and cook additional 15- 20 minutes. This thickens the broth.
Cook a pot of rice while broth is thickening.
Made a batch of cornbread, jiffy muffins or some cheese biscuits.
Serve beans over rice.