Red Beans & Rice

Okay. I've been cooking Red Beans around once a week now for about 4 or so years now, not every week, but just about. I've said before that it's my favorite dish to cook, and here's why. I learn something everytime, also, it's one of those lazy, day off dishes, the longer it cooks the better, well, within reason it gets; my house feels like home with a pot of red beans simmering away on the stove, it's comfort food. Right now, the fireplace is crackling, and the beans are bubblin'. It's home. Anyway, sentiments aside. Here is what I've learned about red beans: It's all about the marrow! Whether it be a ham bone, ham hock, or today it's a smoked turkey drumstick, stripped of meat; bone split. The marrow is what gives the beans that creamy, uh... they're just not the same without it, it's as simple as that! Another thing for the eating, which I find essential, is a salad. Nice little side salad, nothing complicated, a vinaigrette salad. Today I made a creole mustard vinaigrette. In case anyone wants it:

Creole Mustard Vinaigrette

3 Tablespoons Creole Mustard (homemade or I also like Zatarain's)
2 Tablespoons Thinly Sliced Green Onions
1 Tablespoon STEEN'S Pure Cane Syrup (Optional)
2 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Cayenne or to taste
Kosher Salt to taste

Whisk this up.

Drizzle in 1/4 to a 1/2 cup Vegetable or Canola oil whisking until emulsified.

I think the salad, lightens up the double starch meal. A bite of RB&R, a bite of salad. It just goes nicely together. The other thing I learned, from the recipe of Louis Armstrong, no less, is to add a bit of tomato sauce, be it canned or homemade, towards the end of cooking.
But, the best pot of red beans I've ever cooked was made with pickled pork, homemade! I will post a recipe later, but the pork just disintegrated in the pot leaving behind all that flavor. I don't know why I didn't make it again; hell this week I will. Actually one of Louis Armstrong's recipes, I think, actually included it. Anyway more on red beans later.