Shaya's Red Beans

A few years ago we ate at Shaya, a New Orleans restaurant that was truly fabulous.  There was a wood fired oven in the back of the restaurant where someone was continually making fresh pita, and the food was out of this world.  I was so happy that our friends had brought their daughter and future SIL, so that we could order more  choices to try.
They are famous for their red beans and rice.

• 2 pounds dried red beans, soaked overnight
• ¹/₄ cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 6 ounces bacon, chopped
• 2 yellow onions, divided
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
• 2 dried bay leaves, divided
• 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
• ¹/₂ teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 large smoked ham hock, or shank
• 1¹/₂ quarts chicken stock
• 1 pound smoked pork sausage
• 4 teaspoons Morton kosher salt, divided
• 4 teaspoons Tabasco sauce, plus more for serving
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• ¹/₂ cup canola oil
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 pound jasmine rice
• 3 cups water, or more as needed
• 1 bunch scallions, sliced

Method

• Drain the beans, and set them aside.

• Warm the olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the bacon, and cook, stirring occasionally to break it up, for 6 to 8 minutes, until it’s golden.

• Meanwhile, chop one of the onions. When most of the bacon’s fat has rendered, add the onion to the pot, along with the celery, bell pepper, and one of the bay leaves, stirring well to coat everything with the fat.

• Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent and the celery and bell pepper just start to soften. Stir in the paprika and cayenne, allowing the spices to toast for a minute or so.

• Add the beans, ham hock, and stock. Increase the heat to high to bring everything up to a boil, then skim any foam from the top of the pot, reduce the heat to low, and cover with the lid. Let it cook, low and slow, for at least 3 hours, until the beans are falling apart. It’s not a soup, but there should be enough broth so that you see some movement in the pot; top it off with more stock if you need to.

• Fish the ham hock out of the pot, pull all the meat off the bone, give it a rough chop, and add it back to the pot; slice the sausage about 1/4 inch thick and add that, too. Season with 2 teaspoons salt, Tabasco, and sugar. (Yes, sugar—it might seem odd, but it gets all the ingredients to play together nicely.) Continue to cook, covered, over low heat, for at least another ½ hour, until it all starts to pull together. At this point, if you prefer, you can leave it alone for a couple of hours, returning just to stir occasionally.
• While that happens, make the rice