1. Prep the beans: follow instructions on the bag for over night or quick soak, then drain soak water
2. Cook the beans: in a large soup pot, bring soaked beans, stock, water, diced onion, ham hocks, Brick House Smoked Spice Mix, bay leaves, and other spices to a boil, turn down to simmer and let cook for 2 hours (you can do this in a crock pot too – let the beans cook for at least 4-5 hours until beans are mushy on low).
3. Finish the soup: remove ham hock, bay leaves, and peppers from the soup pot then using an emersion blender or food processor grind beans until nearly smooth
4. Prepare the finishing ingredients: cook yellow rice according to package and set aside; in a sauté pan melt butter then over med-low heat, add drained crab and Brick House Smoked Spice Mix stirring until heated through (about 2 minutes)
5. Serve the soup: ladle soup into individual serving bowls, add a quarter cup of yellow rice, drizzle with Brick House hot sauce to taste, then top with spoonful of the crab. Our neighbor likes his with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkle of diced green onion. Serve with a Southwest Chopped salad and warm, crusty Cuban bread. Enjoy!
