You can just throw all the ingredients but salt, green onion and tobasco into the crockpot and skip steps 2-3 however, I like how the flavors are sealed in when sauteed first.
Ingredients:
1 pound dry kidney or aduki beans
1-2 tablespoon olive oil
1-2 pounds meaty hammocks or shanks
2 cup onion, chopped
1 1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup green bell pepper, chopped
4-5 cloves garlic, minced
1 package andouille sausage, diced into 1/2" cubes
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon pepper, to taste
1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or to taste
2-3 bay leaf
3-4 cups broth or water
1-2 teaspoon salt, to taste
1 green onions, finely sliced
drops tobasco sauce to taste
Rinse and drain beans.
Directions:
Place hamhocks in crockpot or Dutch oven.
Coat a skillet with olive oil then, over medium-high heat, sauté onion and celery for 3-5 minutes. Add bell pepper and garlic. Sauté 3-5 minutes more. Add to hammocks.
Brown andouille sausage then add to crockpot.
Add beans, thyme, black pepper, cayenne pepper and bay leaves to crockpot. Pour broth or water over the top and turn crockpot to high.
Once broth starts to bubble skim any "bean scum" and continue simmering on low for 4-5 hours, adding salt after 2 hours.
Once beans are soft and meat starts falling from the bone remove bay leaves and hammocks to shred meat off the bone with a fork. Replace meat and if a thicker broth is desired smash 1/3-1/2 of the beans with a potato masher. Stir.
Serve with steamed rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and a few drops of tobasco sauce if desired.
This can be made in a large dutch oven on the stove. Bring to a boil then lower temperature and simmer for 4 hours. I prefer to use a crockpot.
Beans can be made up to a day ahead and rewarmed in crockpot on low for 1-2 hours.