Hoppin' John

Step 1

1 Place the dried beans in a pot and cover with the water; discard any that float to the surface

Step 2

2 Place over medium heat; once the liquid starts bubbling at the edges, add the dried chili pepper, if desired, the smoked pork shank, bay leaves and salt; cook uncovered for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender but not mushy

Step 3

3 There should be about 2 cups of liquid at this point

Step 4

4 If there's not at least an inch of liquid in your pot, add more water as needed

Step 5

5 Stir in the rice; reduce the heat to low, cover the pot and cook undisturbed, without lifting the lid, for 20 minutes

Step 6

6 Remove the pot from the heat; leave it covered for 10 minutes, to steam, then uncover it and use a fork to separate the grains of rice

Step 7

7 Remove the pork shank, shredding the meat to add to the dish or to reserve for another use

Step 8

8 Line a plate with several layers of paper towels

Step 9

9 While the rice is cooking, fry the bacon in a large skillet over medium heat until crisp and transfer the strips to the lined plate, leaving the bacon fat in the skillet

Step 10

10 Add the onions to the skillet, stirring to coat with the fat; cook for 6 or 7 minutes, until soft

Step 11

11 If the beans and rice are not finished at this time, reduce the heat to low and hold the onions in the skillet

Step 12

12 Coarsely chop the cooled bacon

Step 13

13 Once the beans and rice are ready, stir in the bacon bits and sauteed onions, adding as much of the bacon fat as desired

Step 14

14 Season with salt and pepper to taste

Step 15

15 Serve right away, garnished with parsley