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1
Cook on med-high heat the onion, bell pepper, and celery 6-8 minutes in oil until the onions and celery are semi-translucent and the bell pepper is tender.
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2
Add the garlic and cook 1-2 minutes stirring constantly so as not to burn the garlic.
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3
Add the ham, bay leaves, thyme, hot sauce, cayenne pepper, water and beans to the pot and increase heat to high.
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4
Stir frequently until mixture comes to a boil.
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5
Decrease the heat to low and maintain a simmer.
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6
Cover and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes.
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7
Uncover, increase the heat slightly to maintain the simmer and cook for another 30-40 minutes or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thickened.
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8
You can mash some of the beans with a potato masher if you like a creamier texture.
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9
During the last 30 minutes of cooking the beans, prepare the rice.
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10
To do this, bring 3 cups of water to a boil in one pot.
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11
While boiling the water, in another pot melt the butter over medium heat.
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12
Add the rice and stir to combine with butter.
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13
Add the salt and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
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14
Carefully pour boiling water over the rice and stir.
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15
Decrease heat to lowest setting, cover, and cook for 15-20 minutes.
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16
Serve the beans over the rice and enjoy!
