Nothing beats a comfort food like a good soup, and this versatile Ham and Beans recipe gives you a a myriad of choices of Smoked Pork cuts to use.
Ingredients
- Choose from one of these smoked pork cuts:
- Smoked Ham Hock, Smoked Ham Shank, Ham Steak, Ham Roast (2-3lbs) or
- Bacon Ends or Smoked Pork Jowls (1-2lbs, and half the recipe below)
- 2 Cups Anasazi Beans or Favorite Dried Beans
- 2 Cups Beef or Pork Stock
- 6 Cups Water
- 1 Large Onion Diced
- 6 Cloves Garlic Minced
- 1tbsp Olive Oil
- 1tsp Oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- 1-2tsp Pepper
- Salt to Taste
Directions for Smoked Ham Hock, Ham Shank, Ham Roast or Ham Steak
Rinse Beans under cold water
Heat Olive Oil over med-high in large dutch oven or stock pot and add onions and garlic cooking for 2-3min until soft
Pour in Stock and Water over onions and garlic and add Beans, bay leaf, oregano, pepper
Add whole hock or shank to dutch oven, so it’s submerged. If using Ham steak or ham roast or large hock/shank cut into 3-5 large sections before adding to Dutch oven.
Bring to a boil
Reduce to a low boil and cover for 45 min.
Remove cover and simmer on medium to medium low for 2-3 more hours so meat easily separates from bone and beans are cooked to desired texture. If soup gets too thick during this phase add water to maintain desired thickness.
Remove meat and bones and let cool until it’s at a temperature you can handle to cut it up. Cube up all the meat into 1/2in cubes or you can shred. Discard any fatty pieces and bones.
Add meat back into soup and salt to taste.
Serve with a side of cornbread or over rice.
Directions for Smoked Bacon Ends or Smoked Jowls
Rinse Beans under cold water
Cut up Jowls or Bacon Ends into 1/2in cubes
In a large dutch oven or stock pot over medium to medium-high heat add add the bacon Ends or Jowls and render for ~10-15min until fairly crispy. Remove rendered pork to plate with paper towel. Drain all the bacon grease reserving 1tbsp.
Add onions and garlic to bacon grease cooking for 2-3min until soft
Pour in Stock and Water over onions and garlic and add Beans, bay leaf, oregano, pepper. (Remember to half recipe)
Bring to a boil
Reduce to a low boil and cover for 45 min.
Add rendered bacon ends or jowls back into soup and simmer over medium low for 2 hours or until beans are cooked to desired texture.
If soup gets too thick during this phase add water to maintain desired thickness.
Salt to taste.
Serve with a side of cornbread or over rice.