Red Beans & Rice

I spent several years living in Louisiana.  Unfortunately it was during a very dark time in my life so I didn't take full advantage of everything the city had to offer.  What I did bring back from that was an amazing recipe for Red Beans and Rice.  If you've never heard, Red Beans is a Monday tradition in New Orleans.  Why?  Well, here's a snippet from New Orleans Online:

"Mondays used to be the traditional “wash day” of the week. Traditionally, women of the house would put on a pot of red beans to cook all day while they tended to the laundry, since the meal required little hands-on attention. The beans were largely seasoned by the leftover hambone from the previous night’s dinner."

The family I lived with shared their recipe with me and I've used it hundreds of times.  It never fails.

NEW ORLEANS RED BEANS & RICE 

• 2 lbs Camellia Red Beans
• 2 lbs smoked sausage
• 2 lbs ham chunks
• 1 large white onion
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 head of garlic
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 bunch green onions
• white rice

-Soak beans overnight.  Rinse and refill the pot.
-Bring to a steady boil.  Add sausage, ham, onions, cayenne, bay leaves, garlic, sugar and green  
 onions.
-Cook on medium for 3 hours, stirring occasionally.
-Serve with white rice and french bread/saltines.