Step 1

Slice the sausage and chop the onion, celery, and green pepper into quarter-inch pieces. Mince the garlic, and tie about ten fresh thyme sprigs together with butcher's twine (if you like).

Step 2

In a stock pot, dutch oven, or shallow pan if you're using a crock pot, sauté the sausage over medium heat. Cook the slices to a deep golden brown on each side (try to flip the pieces only once). Brown in batches, as needed, then set it aside. Turn the heat down to medium-low and add the onion, green pepper, and celery. Cook gently, stirring and scraping up the fond (bits left from browning the sausage), until the vegetables soften. Add the garlic and cook until it's fragrant (about a minute) stirring constantly to keep it from burning.

Step 3

Add the red beans, water, ham hock, bay leaf, salt, thyme sprigs, and browned sausage to the pot. Bring the water to a very strong simmer. Then turn down the burner to maintain a gentle bubbling (tiny bubbles breaking the surface steadily). Cook for two to four hours over low heat, stirring occasionally until the beans are tender. In a crock pot, the beans take about four hours on high. Small red beans take longer to cook than red kidney beans. Add more water as necessary to keep the level slightly above the beans. Cover the pot to prevent excessive evaporation of the cooking liquid. Beans are done when they are creamy and tender to bite (taste a few to know).

Step 4

Remove the ham hock, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Pull the meat off the ham hock, shred it, and return the meat to the pot. Chop larger pieces of ham with a knife.

Step 5

With a wooden spoon, mash enough beans against the side of the pot to thicken the liquid. You can also remove a cup of the beans and blend them with a little cooking liquid (but be sure not to blend any of the sausages).

Step 6

Remove the ham hock, bay leaves, and thyme stems. Add the ground spices and taste the beans. Add more salt a little at a time if necessary (it probably won't be with all the salty pork).

Step 7

Pick the leaves off of any reserved thyme sprigs for sprinkling on the plates. Serve the red beans on a plate or shallow bowl with the white rice set in the middle (for a truly authentic experience). Garnish with fresh thyme leaves and hot sauce, for a spicier dish.