CREOLE BEANS
This recipe makes a large pot of beans, but it freezes well and is even better left over!
May be served hot or cold.
2 lbs dry kidney beans (sub 4 cans well rinsed if you must *)
Water
2 quarts tomato sauce
2-3 lbs. pork neck bones (or beef bones or bone from a ham)
1 large onion, chopped
2 tsps. curry powder (or to taste)
1 tsp. dried basil
1/2 cup maple syrup
2 Tbsps. Dijon or honey mustard
1 tsp. salt (omit if using canned beans)
6-10 grinds of GARLICIOUS GRIND SALT-FREE SEASONING (or black pepper to taste)
Put cleaned beans in a large ovenproof kettle and cover with water. Allow to soak overnight.
Simmer the beans on top of stove until almost tender. (If desired, you can drain the beans partway through this process and add fresh water. This will cut down on the "gassiness", but will also send a lot of vitamins down the drain.) Drain any excess water from the beans (you only want enough liquid to barely cover the beans) and add the remaining ingredients to the pan. Stir until well blended.
In a large frying pan, brown the pork neck bones (or beef bones) well and add them to the kettle. If using a leftover ham bone, simply add it to the kettle.
* (If using canned beans, combine all other ingredients at this point, simmer the meat bones in the sauce for 1 hour, THEN add in the canned beans or they will overcook before the meat is done.)
Cook the mixture over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 2-3 hours (a crock pot on "high" will work just fine if you're stuck for time and have to leave this unattended).
Strain out the bones and return any meat to the pot, broken into bite sized pieces. Stir to combine and serve with a hearty bread.