Instructions: Rinse beans several times discarding any hulls or beans that float to the top. Soak beans overnight (at lease 8 hours) in a LARGE pot of water, giving them plenty of room to expand. After they have soaked, rinse beans again and place them in a pot covering them with cool water one to two inches above the beans. Add celery, onion, garlic, meat, and spices and raise to a boil. Reduce the heat to simmer the beans. Stir occasionally.

The beans will need to simmer for two to three hours until they are soft and make their own "gravy". If additional water is needed during the cooking process, YOU MUST ADD BOILING WATER!! (Trust me...) Add brown sugar in the last thirty minutes to mellow spices.

Serve over boiled rice. As condiments, top with graded cheddar cheese, chopped white onion or green onion, and tabasco sauce.

NOTE: If you dont like your beans with "authority", start with 1 Tbl. of the spices. Its easy to add spice later, but you cant take it out!

(JEFF GREATHOUSE)

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