John Sp
TVWBB All-Star
I make BEPs for my family about once a quarter. This recipe never fails to please and it is easily scalable so you can make a bunch of it. I am usually cooking for eight...
Ingredients:
2 lbs dried BEPs (soaked overnight)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 quart chicken stock (homemade if possible)
2 smoked ham hocks (or turkey leg or neck bones)
1 tbs kosher salt (more or less to taste)
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 or 3 Chile peppers (optional)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Directions:
Drain the soaked beans and make sure there are no foreign objects in them. In a large pot (nothing beats cast iron for this), slowly render the smoked meat (ham hocks) over medium low heat until there is enough fat to cook the vegetables (you may need to add a little vegetable oil to supplement the fat). Remove the meat and reserve. Kick the heat up to medium high and sauté the 'Trinity' (mixture of celery, onions, and bell peppers - see note below) until the onions are translucent and getting a bit brown at the edges. Add the garlic and stir rapidly for a minute or two more. Add the BEPs, chicken stock, smoked meat, bay leaves, salt, chilies, and cayenne. Add water to cover the BEPs if necessary. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer partially covered for about 2 hours stirring occasionally (the stopping point is a matter of personal taste - some (like me) like them a bit watery while others like them a bit creamy - just stop before they are a bit burned). Fish out the smoked meat, bay leaves, and chilies (if you used them). At this point you can toss them on the smoker uncovered for a while (if it just happens that you are near the end of a smoking session
Variations:
Any smoked meat will work - I have used the bones from a smoked butt or you can substitute a ham bone if you have one. You can pull the meat from the hocks, neck or turkey legs and return it to the BEPs or just add some left over pulled pork or brisket if you have it. You could forgo the meat altogether and substitite liquid smoke if you lean that way.
A Note About Trinity:
I live in Southeast Louisiana. The 'Trinity' is a staple of both Cajun and Creole cooking. It consists of Bell Pepper, Onion, and Celery and can be found in nearly everything that is cooked in a pot anywhere in South Louisiana, Mississippi, and Southeast Texas. The ratios of these ingredients is a matter of hot debate among the practitioners of the various genre of ethnic cooking in the region and even among families within a genre. I suspect more than one fist fight has occurred over this particular topic. Most recipes around here just say 'add Trinity', and leave it up to the cook to determine what mixture to use. In the end if you cannot rely upon family tradition, rely upon your taste buds and do what tastes right to you...
Regards,
John
Ingredients:
2 lbs dried BEPs (soaked overnight)
1 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped garlic
1 quart chicken stock (homemade if possible)
2 smoked ham hocks (or turkey leg or neck bones)
1 tbs kosher salt (more or less to taste)
2 or 3 bay leaves
2 or 3 Chile peppers (optional)
Cayenne pepper to taste
Directions:
Drain the soaked beans and make sure there are no foreign objects in them. In a large pot (nothing beats cast iron for this), slowly render the smoked meat (ham hocks) over medium low heat until there is enough fat to cook the vegetables (you may need to add a little vegetable oil to supplement the fat). Remove the meat and reserve. Kick the heat up to medium high and sauté the 'Trinity' (mixture of celery, onions, and bell peppers - see note below) until the onions are translucent and getting a bit brown at the edges. Add the garlic and stir rapidly for a minute or two more. Add the BEPs, chicken stock, smoked meat, bay leaves, salt, chilies, and cayenne. Add water to cover the BEPs if necessary. Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer partially covered for about 2 hours stirring occasionally (the stopping point is a matter of personal taste - some (like me) like them a bit watery while others like them a bit creamy - just stop before they are a bit burned). Fish out the smoked meat, bay leaves, and chilies (if you used them). At this point you can toss them on the smoker uncovered for a while (if it just happens that you are near the end of a smoking session
Variations:
Any smoked meat will work - I have used the bones from a smoked butt or you can substitute a ham bone if you have one. You can pull the meat from the hocks, neck or turkey legs and return it to the BEPs or just add some left over pulled pork or brisket if you have it. You could forgo the meat altogether and substitite liquid smoke if you lean that way.
A Note About Trinity:
I live in Southeast Louisiana. The 'Trinity' is a staple of both Cajun and Creole cooking. It consists of Bell Pepper, Onion, and Celery and can be found in nearly everything that is cooked in a pot anywhere in South Louisiana, Mississippi, and Southeast Texas. The ratios of these ingredients is a matter of hot debate among the practitioners of the various genre of ethnic cooking in the region and even among families within a genre. I suspect more than one fist fight has occurred over this particular topic. Most recipes around here just say 'add Trinity', and leave it up to the cook to determine what mixture to use. In the end if you cannot rely upon family tradition, rely upon your taste buds and do what tastes right to you...
Regards,
John
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