Ingredients:

16 oz. small red beans
10 oz. chorizo
1 large red bell pepper
1 leek
1 Tsp chopped oregano
1 tsp ground savory
1 Tsp rubbed sage
1 Tsp freshly black pepper
1 Tbsp salt
2 bay leaves

Directions:

Wash and then soak red beans over night in 6 cups of water.

Rinse beans and place in 2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil over medium heat.

While the beans are heating, cook the chorizo. Cut the leek on the diagonal and then into smaller pieces as needed. Chop the red bell pepper.

As the beans approach the boil, add the spices, bell pepper and leek. Finally, add the chorizo along with the oil.

Reduce heat to low and simmer for two hours or until done.

Allow the beans to sit after cooking. The longer, the better. To serve, reheat, reseason as necessary, and serve over rice.

Serves: Many. I would guess that there are enough beans for 8 or more. Gauge the actual servings by the amount of rice you cook, approximately 1/2 cup per person. Expect leftovers. But they are a good thing. They improve with age. Cooking this the day before and reheating the beans will enhance the flavor.

Notes:

You may have observed that this recipe asks for chorizo, while being listed among the vegetarian dishes. In place of the chorizo, you can make the recipe more vegetarian by substituting the same amount of salt pork for flavoring. If so, I would add at least a tablespoon of crushed red pepper. If you like spicy, you can add the red pepper anyway.

But in my opinion, the chorizo really helps, and if you are not a thorough vegetarian, I suggest using it. You can ladle the chorizo into the beans leaving most of its oil behind. If any is added, it will mix as the beans cook it will mix and be less obvious. Recall that I did not say these recipes were healthy. The goal is taste. Chorizo, of course, is commonly sold in Houston grocery stores, and I suppose that it can be found elsewhere in stores in North America, at least in big cities. I think I used Garcia brand. If you can't find chorizo, just go with the salt pork.

Remember to wash the leek carefully; sand and dirt will hide down inside the leaves. I added the leek because I had always wanted to use one in something, and it seems to work well here with the beans. You can't buy just one leek, though. They are sold in bunches of three, so plan on doing a stirfry a day or so after the beans. If you do not want to bother with leeks, substitute 6 or so green onions/scallions. They will do just as well.

Also check the refrigerator. If you have any fresh oregano or cilantro, consider adding some of that (as I did this last time). I let the beans cook an hour before putting the oregano and cilantro in.

This recipe is my invention. Experiment with it.