4green onions, green part only, chopped, for serving
Hot sauce, for serving
Instructions
Rinse and sort the beans. Place in a large pot or Dutch oven, cover with 2 inches of water, add the salt, bring the pot to a boil then turn off the heat, cover the pot, and allow the beans to soak for an hour. After an hour when the beans have almost doubled in size, drain and rinse the beans and rinse the pot.
Place the pot back on the stove, and on medium heat sauté in bacon grease the onion, celery, and bell pepper for 10 minutes. Add the garlic and sausage to the pot and cook for 2 minutes. Add the soaked beans, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, paprika, Worcestershire sauce, pepper, cayenne, ham hocks, and chicken broth to the pot.
Turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let it boil for 20 minutes and then turn the heat to low, cover the pot, and let it simmer for 40 minutes.
After 40 minutes, take off the lid, stir the pot and continue to let it simmer for 2 hours. You might check back on it every once in a while to make sure there’s still enough liquid in the pot.
At this time, test your beans—they should be soft, but if not, continue to cook on low until they are.
When the beans are ready, with a wooden spoon smash a few of them against the side of the pot—this will make your beans extra creamy. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding more salt if needed.
Serve the beans over rice, and garnish with the green onions. A few shakes of some Louisiana hot sauce such as Tabasco or Crystal is a good addition as well.