It's not necessary to soak the beans overnight, but you can if you want to.

If you do, drain the water and cover the beans with a double volume of fresh water in the pot.

Bring the beans to a rolling boil. Make sure the beans are always covered by water, or they will discolor and get hard.

Boil the hell out of the beans for about an hour, until the beans are tender but not falling apart.

While the beans are boiling, sauté the Trinity (onions, celery, bell pepper) until the onions turn translucent.

Add the garlic and sauté for 2 more minutes, stirring occasionally.

After the beans are boiled (save the water this time!), add the sautéed vegetables to the beans, then add the ham hock or shank (or ham or pickle meat), smoked sausage, seasonings, and just enough water to cover.

Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer.

Cook for 2 hours at least, preferably 3, until the whole thing gets nice and creamy.

You'll need to get a feel for consistency; it shouldn't be a watery sauce, but it shouldn't be as thick as refried beans either.

Adjust seasonings as you go along. Stir occasionally, making sure that it doesn't burn and/or stick to the bottom of the pot.

If the beans are old -- say, older than six months to a year -- they won't get creamy.

Make sure the beans are reasonably fresh. If it's still not getting creamy, take 1 or 2 cups of beans out and mash them, then return them to the pot and stir.

If you can ... let the beans cool, stick them in the fridge, and reheat and serve for dinner the next day.

They'll taste a LOT better. When you do this, you'll need to add a little water to get them to the right consistency.

Serve generous ladles-ful over hot white long-grain rice, with good French bread, good beer and a bottle of Crystal hot sauce handy.

I must confess that I serve it over long-grain brown rice these days for health reasons.

You can also use local specialty rice brands like Ellis Stansel's Popcorn Rice.

I also love to serve grilled or broiled fresh Creole hot sausage or chaurice on the side.

I do not recommend serving with sliced beets out of a can.

I recommend a nice green salad instead.

I also like serving a few small pickled onions with my red beans -- I chop them up and mix them in with the beans.