Ooh, I like the sound of this. I don't have an Instant Pot, but I feel confident I can saute and then pressure cook!
Quick question - how many is this to serve?
We use Paul Prudhomme's recipe with a few tweaks for our taste. See end for PC cook directions.
6-8 meal portion servings
12 ounces dried red kidney beans
water, to cover the beans and cook them in
2-3 smoked ham hocks or smoked pork chops or smoked turkey necks
2 1⁄2 cups celery, finely chopped
2 cups onions, finely chopped
2 cups green bell peppers, finely chopped
5 bay leaves
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
1-1⁄2 teaspoons garlic powder
1-1⁄2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon cayenne
1⁄2 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Tabasco or Crystal sauce
1 lb andouille sausage, cut diagonally into 3/4-inch pieces
Rice cooked per package directions
TIP: There are a few nationally available brands of andouille. However, when we've tried them, we've found them to be quite greasy. So, if you must use 1 of them, test a piece by cooking it a little to see how much grease comes out. Then, if necessary, partially cook the remainder of the slices and get rid of excess grease. NEW: We tried the Smokehouse brand of andouille a while back. It's pretty good, comparable to our homemade, though not as spicy.
If you can't find andouille at all, you can use a sausage like kielbasa, but will need to increase the cayenne and/or the hot sauce somewhat. Also, check for excess grease as above.
DIRECTIONS:
Rinse the beans and quickly look through to make sure there isn't something in them there shouldn't be. Soak overnight in a large bowl with water covering by at least an inch or so. Drain beans just before using.
In a very large saucepan or dutch oven, place the ham hocks, 8 cups of water, celery, onions, bell peppers, bay leaves, and seasonings, cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until ham hocks are tender, about 45 minutes to an hour. Remove ham hocks and set aside. Add the drained beans to the pan and bring to a boil over high heat, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasinally, adding water as necessary. Cook another 30 minutes stirring frequently and adding water as necessary. You want to keep the mixture kind of soupy but not watery. Stir in the andouille and continue simmering until the beans start breaking up, about 35 minutes, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan fairly often.
After the ham hocks have cooled, pick the good meat out and dice or tear into small 1/4 inch-ish pieces, discarding the skin and fat. Add the ham hock meat, hot sauce, and the andouille to the pot, stir and cook for 10 minutes more.
NOTES
Also, I've stopped using ham hocks unless they come from a good butcher. Too much skin, fat and gristle, with almost no meat. I substitute the smoked pork chops that come in packages where the cubed up ham pieces are in the regular grocery.
YES, it can be done in a pressure cooker, but has to be done in stages. Below are the pressure cook times for my recipe.
Stovetop pressure cooking directions
You can also do this in something like an Instapot but I believe you will have to add additional time. I don't use 1 so can't help, but was told by an Instapot user that you have to add more time.
Using a stovetop pressure cooker on high, with quick cool downs with cool running water in sink:
15 minutes for ham hocks, seasoning and vege mix. Start with 6 cups of water, NOT 8, and add water as needed throughout cooking. I rarely have to add any. Remember, you want it a bit soupy, but not watery.
20 minutes with addition of beans.
15 minutes after removing ham hocks and adding andouille
After the last PC cook, I stir in the chopped up ham hock pieces to warm through and the hot sauce. Taste, adjust seasoning if needed, and serve over rice.
Once the pressure cooker is going good on all 3 cooks, need to turn heat down to a simmer temperature so the mixture doesn't burn.
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