Sonya’s Red Beans and Rice

Ingredients

• 1 pound dried red beans
• 1/2 pound ham hock
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 4 cups water, or as needed
• 3 cups chopped onion
• 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 dashes hot sauce
• 2 pounds smoked sausage, sliced

Directions

Place red beans into a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.

Combine beans, ham hock, and salt in a stockpot; pour in enough water to cover. Bring bean mixture to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until beans are softened, 30 to 40 minutes.

Stir onion, green bell pepper, parsley, tomato sauce, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, black pepper, oregano, thyme, cayenne pepper, and hot sauce into bean mixture. Cover stockpot and cook until vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.

Mix sausage into bean mixture and cook for another 45 minutes. Remove ham hock before serving.