re: what spices do you add to red beans and rice

Everything is spicy to someone. To generate even more controversy I plan on listing everything that goes into the pot, spice or not.

I have lately been using my crockpot with an all day cook at high setting. I use a pound of beans, 1/4 cup chopped celery and 1/2 cup chopped onion sautéed in some butter, 2 teaspoons liquid smoke, 2 teaspoons Lawry's garlic salt, enough boiling water to pretty much fill the pot and cook them at high setting with a lid for a while - maybe 4 hours, then add whatever smoked pork meat I am have, usually from the freezer, so I sear it to thaw it out and get some color on it, then cut it into manageable pieces and add it, with a half Tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of black pepper and maybe a little more salt (after tasting broth). I usually add 1 bay leaf at this time. After they cook maybe an hour like this and are getting really tender, I add whatever smoked sausage (seared in a skillet to thaw it out and brown it some) will fit into the pot and for the first time, stir the beans. If they break apart and thicken the broth I am happy and stir by hand or with a hand held mixer until they are as creamy as I like. After an hour like this I eat, with my favorite spice - cooked rice and second most favorite spice - butter toasted French bread. These get pretty close to Popeye's redbeans, and that is fine with me.

First day:





Leftover stage: