This recipe is many years in the making taking from several recipes of famous restaurants in New Orleans. I call it a New Orleans style b/c I deviate a little in certain places with the meat. The dish usually requires ham hock and salt pork, and with Cajuns maybe even Cajun tasso ham. Instead I use a pork shoulder and cut away as much fat as I can. I use Andouille sausage which has its own level of cayenne pepper so I don’t add anymore. This recipe has a bus load of flavor.

Traditionally, New Orleanians eat this dish pretty much every Monday. So typically it is made with the cheapest most flavorful pork meats or pork bones from leftovers but more meat such as sausage appear in it as a highlight. The center flavor starts with bell pepper, onion, and celery as do most Creole dishes like Gumbo and Jambalaya.

• 1 Lb. red beans soaked in water for 16 hours.
• 1 Lb. of pork shoulder (fat cut away) (cut into small pieces)
• 1 half stick of Andouille Sausage (cut into 1 inch pieces)
• 1 Bottle of local brew (I used Potosi Ale Red Label, local in Wisconsin not far – 2 cups)
• 1 cup chopped onion
• ½ green bell pepper chopped
• 1 celery stalk chopped
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• ½ tsp dried parsley
• ½ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp dried thyme
• 1 bay leaf cut in two
• ½ tsp black pepper
• ½ tsp white pepper
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 TBSP Worcestershire
• 3 cups chicken stock
• Extra chicken stock if needed as you cook

Add all ingredients to the pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a slight simmer 3 hours. Check every hour and adjust as you go. By the time it finishes cooking most of the liquid stock should have evaporated.  Cool, Refrigerate. Serve the next day.

For you Vegans: Instead of pork, make sure you add 3 TBSP olive oil or a garlic olive oil prep. (Heat olive oil and garlic together) Also, just use water and no stock. I wouldn’t use a veggie stock b/c the New Orleans affect is centered around the onion, green bell and celery. That trio is called a New Orleans Mirepoix or in the New Orleans colloquial a Trinity.

Also, New Orleans is pronounced NuWaLens, or NewOrLens, or NewOrlee-ins, not Nu Orleens. If you travel to San Francisco and call it Frisco, you will get corrected!  It’s San-Fran-cis-co.