New Orleans Red Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 pkg. red kidney beans
1 ham hock with some ham on it
1 large onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
garlic (optional)
1 bay leaf
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire
salt to taste
1/2 tsp. cayenne
dash of pepper sauce
1 lb. smoked link sausage

Preparation

Wash and soak beans overnight or from 4 to 6 hours.
Pour off water and refill pot with water, allowing plenty of room to simmer. Add ham bone and ham and all other ingredients.
Simmer 1 1/2 to 3 hours or until creamy (water may added if necessary).
Large sausage, sliced in 1-inch lengths may be added the last hour. (Should be thick and creamy.)
Serve over fluffy rice.
This is a typical New Orleans lunch dish.
Leftover beans may be frozen for future use.