The Best Ever Red Beans and Rice

Sautee onion, pepper, celery, salt and pepper in the pot with oil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the peppers are tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, stock, Worchestershire Sauce, oregano, paprika, and beans to the pot and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently until the mixture comes to a boil. Decrease the heat to maintain a simmer, cover and cook for 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. In separate skillet brown sausage while beans are cooking. Deglaze the pan with liquid from the bean pot (or 1/4 cup watethen add deglazing liquid back to the pot along with sausage and cayenne pepper. Increase the heat slightly to maintain a steady simmer and continue to cook for another 30 to 40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened to your liking. If you prefer an even creamier texture, mash some of the beans with a potato masher at this time. Add butter prior to serving. Prepare rice during the last 30 minutes of cooking the beans. Rinse rice by placing in a bowl and filling up, and promptly draining, three baths of cold water to remove excess starch which will prevent rice from sticking and becoming mushy. Water should run clear. Sauté rice in 1 ½ tbsp of butter on medium heat for three minutes prior to boiling. Add water and bring rice to a boil and briefly stir to ensure rice is not sticking to bottom. Reduce heat to low and simmer until rice absorbs liquid and becomes tender, about 15-30 minutes for white rice. Keep lid on as much as possible and refrain from stirring. Stirring releases starches which will cause the rice to become mushy. To test doneness, squeeze rice between thumb and index finger. Rice should be soft all of the way through. Serve red beans on a plate on top of a mound of rice.