Ham Hocks and Beans

There's nothing more Southern then a pot of beans that has been simmered until tender and creamy, flavored with smoked ham hocks. There's also nothing more controversial than how to cook your beans.  Soak vs Quick-soak vs Don't Soak.......Change water vs Cook in soaking liquid.......Salt at the beginning vs Salt at the end.........Cook covered vs Cook uncovered; and on and on. It's hard to ruin beans; just don't hard boil them to death.

Do what works best for you. It's important for you to figure out what works best for you with your equipment, altitude, schedule, etc. 




Simple ingredients can produce a tasty, stick-to-your-ribs meal.  There are Great Northern beans, smoked ham shanks (ham hocks are good too), onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf. I don't know if my beans are ever exactly the same each time I make them; all depends on what flavoring meat, aromatics, and herbs you have on hand. Sometimes I don't use anything but Bay leaves.

Here's my quick-soak method.  Place 1 pound of rinsed, dried Great Northern beans in a large pot of water; enough to cover the beans.  Bring to a boil then remove from heat, cover and let soak for 1 hour.

 

 While the beans are soaking chop up your onion, dice the garlic and make a bouquet garni of 1 sprig fresh thyme and 2 bay leaves. For this recipe I chose to wrap my bouquet garni in cheese cloth so I don't have bits of thyme floating around in my beans.  I just want the flavor.

After the soaking period add the ham shanks or hocks, onion, garlic, and bouquet garni to the pot .  If necessary, add enough boiling water to cover beans.  Bring to a boil then simmer, uncovered, until beans are tender.  Check after 1 hour.  Add additional boiling water if necessary to keep beans covered.  Beans should be done in an hour to an hour and a half.

I salt at the end of cooking for a couple of reasons:  1) I agree, from experience, that salting at the beginning toughens the skin of the bean and it takes longer to cook; and 2) you never know just how salty your hocks will be.

Serve with cornbread.  It's the law.



Ham Hocks and Beans
Serves

Ingredients:
1 pound dried Great Northern beans
8 cups water
1 large yellow onion
1 large clove garlic
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 bay leaves

1 pound smoked ham hocks or ham shanks
Extra water, if necessary
Kosher salt, to taste

Method:
Rinse beans and place in 5 quart pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Remove pot from heat, cover and let soak for one hour.

While the beans are soaking, chop the onion and garlic and set aside.  In a small square of cheese cloth wrap up the thyme and bay leaf and tie with kitchen twine.

Add the onion, garlic, bouquet garni, and ham hocks to pot of beans. If necessary, add enough boiling water to cover beans.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until tender.  Check at 1 hour and add any additional liquid to keep beans covered (be sure to boil water prior to adding to pot).

Remove hocks or shanks.  When cool, remove meat and return to pot.  Serve with hot cornbread.

OTHER COMBOS THAT I'D MAKE AGAIN:

• Great Northerns and a smoked turkey leg no one ate at Thanksgiving. Who really eats the turkey leg anyway?

A Little Bit of New Year's Tradition

Ahh, yet another turkey in our household for the holiday.  This is the third.  Those who know Lovey know that he has to have turkey at every holiday.  This was was smoked which made it a little different.  All I had to do was make some Potatoes au Gratin, throw some Sister Shubert's Parker House Rolls in the oven and make the black eyed peas.  Two good reasons to make black eyed peas to accompany our New Year's dinner:  one, because that's just what you do in the South; and two, I received a new crock pot for Christmas (thanks Char & James!). 

Lovey and I spent New Year's Eve together quietly at home.  I had put a casserole together the night before.  That and champagne was our celebratory fare for the evening (heavy on the champagne).  We watched the Chick-Fil-A Bowl (in our opinion the best bowl game of the season so far) between Duke and Texas A&M.  We were pulling for Duke (sorry Johnny Football).  Even though the ending wasn't how we wished it was an exciting game.  I hate boring football games.

I bought two containers of fresh BEPs so I knew they wouldn't take any time at all to cook; which is a good thing, however I was concerned that the smoked ham hock from Kuby's wouldn't have sufficient time to flavor the beans or the broth if I cooked them on the stove for such a short time.

 Before I went to bed on NYE I threw some onion and garlic into the crock

 Added the hock

and a bouquet garni of fresh rosemary, thyme and bay leaf.  Covered with chicken stock then set the crock pot on low and let it cook overnight.

There's something wonderful about waking up to fabulous aromas coming from the kitchen.  I removed the hock to cool and tossed the bouquet garni.  I cubed a slab of Black Forest ham I had and added that to the stock along with the BEPs.  Re-set the crock pot to high & walked away to let the BEP's slowly get soft and soak up that nice broth.

The broth.  Mmmmmm, the broth turned out better than I have ever made.  It was clear and light, and since the broth wasn't cooked with the beans in it all night it didn't have that starchiness that it normally does.

Insurance for a prosperous and happy new year; that's what this is! 

Black Eyed Peas in a Crock Pot

Ingredients:


1/2 yellow onion
2 cloves garlic
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
3-4 fresh sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
1 large smoked ham hock
32 ounce box chicken broth
3/4" thick slab ham such as Black Forest (about 1/2 pound)
2 pint containers fresh black eyed peas
salt and pepper to taste

Mise en place:

• thinly slice onion
• peel and crush garlic clove
• tie in a bundle the rosemary, thyme and bay leaf (can also wrap bundle in cheese cloth)

Method:
Place onion, garlic, bouquet garni and ham hock in crock pot.  Pour chicken broth over to cover.  Place lid on crock pot and secure.  Cook over night on low (8 - 10 hours).

Remove hock and let cool thoroughly.  Remove and throw away bouquet garni.

Cube the slab of ham (3/4" cubes) and toss into broth.

Rinse black eyed peas and add to broth.  Replace lid and cook on high approximately 2 hours or until peas have softened (but not to mush).

Salt and pepper to taste.  NOTE:  taste broth before adding any salt!  You can never tell how salty the ham and ham hock may be.  You may not need salt at all.