White Beans flavored with Smoked Ham and the Cajun Trinity slowly simmered and served over white rice. One taste and you'll understand why this is a South Louisiana staple.
Cube ham, slice the bacon, chop vegetables and measure the seasonings.
Fry two slices of bacon starting in a cold Duch oven over medium-high heat.
Leaving the bacon in the Dutch oven, add the cubed ham and sautee for about 2 minutes, stirring well to coat all the ham with bacon grease.
Drain the beans and discard the soaking water.
Add the beans to the Dutch oven with the ham and mix well.
Add 2 bay leaves and add enough cold water to cover beans (about 5 cups).
Bring the Dutch oven to a boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for 1 hour, covered.
While the beans are simmering, add three slices of bacon to a cold cast iron skillet over medium heat.
When the bacon fat has rendered, add the Trinity to the bacon in the skillet and saute until softened and beginning to brown on the edges, about 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, Creole seasoning and black pepper (not the salt), stir well and continue to saute for about 2 minutes. Set aside until needed.
After the beans have simmered for 1 hour, stir well and add the sauteed Trinity and seasonings to the beans.
Adjust heat to maintain a slow simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered, stirring occationally.
After 30 minutes, stir well and cover the Dutch oven. Continue to simmer for another 30 minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and test the beans for doneness.
If beans are not done, continue to simmer uncovered for an additional 10 minutes or until tender. Add more water if needed, but only enough to keep the beans just covered.
Remove the bay leaves and serve over cooked white rice.
Notes
Leftover White Beans and Ham can be kept in the fridge for up to a week and will even become more flavorful the day after you first cook them. They reheat easily in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also store them in the freezer for up to 2 or 3 months. The key to maintaining their quality in the refrigerator or the freezer is storing them in airtight containers.Smoked ham gives an extra dimension of the smoky flavor (also why I use smoked bacon). This is a perfect fit for any leftover baked or smoked ham that you have. If I don’t have leftover ham, use smoked ham shanks, which are very flavorful and meaty. If a portion of ham bone is available, stick that in there too. However, if you cannot find suitable smoked ham, a good substitution is smoked pork sausage or andouille.If you can not find Navy Beans, good substitutes are Great Northern Beans, Cannellini and even Baby Limas. Check out my article White Beans and Ham. There is more detail on the step by step instructions, plus information about soaking beans and cooking the rice.