Onions, Sausage and Beans oh my!

Welcome back yall! I hope everyone is doing well!  Today I am going to share with you the basics of cooking red beans and large lima beans.  There are a lot of ways to make a yummy pot of beans and I am going to give you want you need to customize your own recipe.

There are two types of bean eaters. Some people like thin beans and some people like thick beans. It is very important to determine what type of bean eater you are. I will explain later in the recipe of why this makes a difference.

You will need:

1lb of dried beans

1 Large onion diced

1 Cup of green onions cut

2 cloves of garlic minced

1 16oz pack of smoked sausage cubed

Water

Salt

Pepper

Onion Powder

1 Large pot

When cooking beans it is very important to soak them in cold water for at least 8 hours. There are two ways to soak your dried beans, the quick method and the long soak. I recommend using the long soak because this allows more time to de-gas your beans and the softer your beans get the less time you will have to cook them.  A quick is when you bring your beans to a quick boil and then take them off of the heat. This method only takes one hour to complete but, will cause extra cooking time. After soaking your beans it is very important that you wash them thoroughly.

Next, in a pot you are going to add your clean beans, diced onions and green onions. I feel that everyone seasons differently and you know what is too much for your taste buds. With that being said, season your beans with salt, pepper, and onion powder.  Bring the beans to a boil and then reduce to medium heat.

Once the beans are soft, add your cubed smoked sausage or your preferred meat. If you are a thin bean eater, your cook time from here will be less. Once the sausage is cooked and you have the consistency you want in your beans, serve over rice. The longer you cook your beans the thicker they will become. You can also smash beans and use this as a thickening agent. Next, you want to taste your beans to see if more seasoning will be needed. When I am cooking the large Lima beans, I add Crystal’s hot sauce to them before serving.

You can also change up the meat source.  When cooking my beans sometimes I used sausage or ham chunks. The ham chunks can normally be found near the bacon in your grocery stores.  Please message me if you have any questions. I did not include the cook time on the beans because it will vary, depending on how thick or thin you would like them. The beans are done when they are soft and when the beans reach the consistency that you like.

Enjoy my friends!

Backwoods Belle