Let’s simmer up this Louisiana classic:

1. Soak the Beans (Overnight Prep):

• Place the 1 pound of dry red kidney beans in a large bowl or container. Cover them with several inches of cool water.
• Let the beans stand at room temperature for at least 8 hours, or preferably overnight.
• After soaking, drain the beans thoroughly in a colander and rinse them well under cold running water. Set aside.

2. Sauté Sausage and Aromatics (Flavor Base):

• Heat the 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat.
• Add the diced Andouille sausage to the hot oil. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the oils from the sausage are slightly released and the edges begin to brown, about 5 to 7 minutes.
• Stir in the chopped onion, chopped celery, and chopped poblano pepper. Season this vegetable mixture lightly with a pinch of salt (if desired, remember sausage is salty) and some of the Cajun seasoning (if using instead of individual spices).
• Cook and stir until the vegetables soften and start to turn translucent, about 6 to 8 minutes.
• Stir the minced garlic into the sausage and vegetable mixture. Cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute more.
   

3. Combine and Simmer (First Stage):

• Stir the soaked and rinsed red beans into the pot with the sausage and vegetable mixture.
• Pour in the chicken broth. Add the smoked ham hock, bay leaves, freshly ground black pepper, dried thyme, cayenne pepper, and a few dashes of hot sauce (to taste).
• Stir everything together well. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce the heat to low (or medium-low, enough to maintain a very gentle simmer), cover the pot tightly with a lid, and let it simmer gently, stirring occasionally (every 30-45 minutes), for 1 ½ hours.

4. Continue Simmering and Season (Second Stage):

• After 1 ½ hours, remove the lid. The beans should be starting to soften.
• Season with salt to taste (start with about 1 teaspoon, you can add more later). Adding salt earlier can sometimes make beans take longer to soften.
   
• Continue simmering, covered or partially covered (to allow some thickening if needed), stirring occasionally, until the beans are very soft and creamy, the meat from the ham hock is tender, and the liquid has reached your desired consistency. This will take approximately 1 ½ to 2 hours more. Add more chicken broth or water during this time if the mixture becomes too thick before the beans are fully tender.

5. Finish the Dish:

• Once the beans are tender and creamy, remove the pot from the heat.
• Carefully remove the smoked ham hock and the bay leaves (discard bay leaves). When the ham hock is cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bone, discard bone and excess fat/skin, and chop or shred the meat. Return the shredded ham hock meat to the pot with the beans.
• Stir the ham hock meat into the red beans and rice. Taste and adjust seasonings (salt, pepper, cayenne, hot sauce) as needed.
   
• Let the Red Beans and Rice stand for about 5-10 minutes for flavors to meld further.

6. Serve:

• To serve, spoon a generous portion of cooked white rice into individual bowls.
• Ladle the hot Red Beans and Rice mixture (with sausage and ham hock) plentifully over the rice.
   
• Top with a sprinkle of freshly chopped green onion. Offer additional hot sauce at the table.

The patient simmer creates incredible depth of flavor