Butter Beans with Smoked Turkey and Wild Rice

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

2 cups of Uncle Ben’s Wild Rice

1 pound of smoked turkey necks

3 tablespoons of Goya Adobo (all purpose seasoning)

2 tablespoons of Spice World

2 tablespoons of Texas Pete Hot Sauce

2 tablespoons of Mrs. Dash (original seasoning blend)

1 ½ Spanish onion – diced into medium pieces

Less than a half of celery stalk chopped into very small pieces

2 bags of Frozen Butter Beans

1 qt. stick of butter

Directions

1.  Add 4 cups of water and 1 qt. stick of butter to cooking pot - add rice to pot and turn up heat up to high. When rice begins to boil – immediately reduce heat and let simmer for 15 minutes. 

2.  Rinse off turkey necks under cold running water for several minutes, rub meat in between rinsing – add 8 cups of water to large cooking pot, add turkey necks to pot, turn stove-top heat to high and continue to cook at this temperature for 1 hour.

3.  After 1 hour add all ingredients to cooking pot, reduce heat to medium and cook for an additional 1 hour or until butter beans are tender. Turkey Necks should be tender to the point of meat falling off the bone. In between cooking make sure to skim off excess grease to ensure no grease remains.

4.  Add 2 tablespoons of Wild Rice to bowl and top off with a few shakes of Texas Pete Hot Sauce along with desired amount of Butter Beans and serve immediately. 

Author Note: Recipe ingredients can also be substituted with beef, beef sausage, vegetables, and tomatoes to add uniqueness to this classic soul food dish.

Photo Credit: Jpatokal -- 10/2007 Wikimedia Creative Commons