It's been a family tradition to make a huge pot of Red Beans on New Years Eve. This year it was my goal to find out why we eat beans on New Years Eve. In many cultures, eating beans, rather they be black eye peas, navy beans, or red beans, is suppose to bring luck and fortune for the new year. Although when I asked my family why we eat the beans on New Years Eve their answer was, that is what Grandma did every year. This year I got into the spirit and made Grandmas beans for everyone too. I could not find a recipe that matched hers anywhere on the Internet, but its so simple and may be in your family cookbook too.
Peppercorn Red Beans1 pkg Dry Red Beans (soak overnight in water with baking soda approx 4 tablespoons)
After the beans have soaked overnight
Put them in a crock pot with
6 cups of water
2 ham hocks
2 spice bags filled with peppercorns (about 50 in each) remove before serving
2 teaspoons of cumin
2 teaspoons of chili powder
1 clove of garlic
Towards the end of day two, take 1 cup of flour and 1 cup of the liquid soup and mix together into a thick paste. Add it back into the soup to make your soup thicken.
Let cook for two days on high.
Serve on New Years Eve with plenty of Sausage Bread.
