Sort your beans and discard the small stones and other pieces of junk that do not appear to be edible. In a large pot, soak the beans in enough water to cover them, plus 2 inches. Add 1 tsp. salt. Soak overnight. Rinse the beans, then boil them in water with onions, peppers, garlic, salt, pepper. While the beans boil, sauté some ham and sausage in a fry pan; when the meat is browned well, throw it into the mix. Cover, and simmer for 90 minutes (or until the beans are soft). Add small amounts of water as needed (don't make it too soupy, now -- this isn't "Red Bean Soup"). Then, remove 2 large spoonfuls of beans to pot. This makes the beans thick and creamy. Simmer these for 15 additional minutes. Make sure to stir your beans to prevent sticking. Serve over rice (see below).
Rice (makes approx.6 cups cooked rice)
To cook the rice:
Bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Stir in 2 cups of rice and salt. Return to rolling boil. Reduce to medium low and cover. Set timer for 18 minutes. Stir again after about 7 minutes but stir too often. This is only to assure the rice doesn't clump up. Recover and wait. Check when timer alarms. Stir gently and taste. If it's not crunchy, remove from heat and uncover. DO NOT RINSE! If your pot hold a lot of heat, remove rice to a bowl to stop cooking process.