Louisiana Red Beans

 

History of louisiana:

Louisiana sits above the Gulf of Mexico at the mouth of the Mississippi River, bordered by Arkansas to the north, Mississippi to the east and Texas to the west. Originally colonized by the French during the 18th century, it became U.S. territory as part of the historic Louisiana Purchase in 1803, and was admitted to the union in 1812. Louisiana’s capital city is Baton Rouge. It is also home to the historic port city New Orleans, which is famous for its unique cuisine, jazz and spectacular Mardi Gras festival.

Date of Statehood: April 30, 1812

Did you know? Some natives of Lousiana consider themselves Cajun or Creole. Cajun refers to a cross-cultural mix of several ethnic groups, including French Creole, Spanish, German and Anglo-American. The word Creole comes from the Spanish word "Criollo," which means "one from the colony."

Capital: Baton Rouge

Population: 4,533,372 (2010)

Size: 51,988 square miles

Nickname(s): Pelican State; Sportsman’s Paradise

INGREDIENTS

1 pound Camelia red beans

1 large onion

1 large bell pepper

3 stalks celery

4 cloves garlic

3 bay leaves

Salt

Pepper

Slap ya Mama seasoning

Smoked neck bones

1 pound Good quality smoked sausage

DIRECTIONS

Placed smoked meat and chopped seasoning on a sheet pan lined with foil. Wrap tightly and place in a preheated 375° oven for an hour. (Feel free to boil your meats if that’s what you prefer.)

Add red beans to a large heavy pot and cover with about 2 quarts of water. Add salt, pepper and bay leaves. Cook uncovered on med high heat for about an hour.

Remove smoked meat and seasoning from the oven and carefully add the meat, vegetables and the liquid to the beans. Season to taste, cover and reduce heat to medium.

(You’ll need to stir the beans occasionally and add a lil more water to the pot if necessary) Cook an additional hour and a half or so until beans are nice and tender and the broth is thickened.