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beans with ham hock and, of course, onion, corn bread and mashed potatoes on the side |
2 cups pinto beans
1 smoked ham hock
salt and pepper
Spread the beans on a plate and remove any rocks, weird looking beans or other debris that you don’t want to cook with the beans. Put the beans in a bowl or pan and cover with water so that it is 1” to 2” above the beans. Let soak overnight. Pour off the water and rinse the beans. Put the beans in a pan, cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil about 20 minutes. Pour off the water and rinse the beans. The soaking helps tenderize the beans. The boiling and washing helps remove the material that causes gas from the outside of the beans. Allen cleaned the beans and he sometimes soaked them, however, he did not boil them. It’s your choice: to gas or not to gas.
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pepper sauce |
Put the beans in a slow cooker with a ham hock. Cover with water. Cook on low for 10-12 hours or on high for 5-6 hours. Add water if necessary to keep it slightly above the beans and ham hock. When done, add salt and pepper to taste. Do not add salt during cooking as it toughens the beans. Serve with pepper sauce for a taste delight.
Follow the recipe for beans and ham hock except substitute 1/2 inch thick cubes of salt pork. You can also use pig skins, ham bones, leftover ham, or bacon.
Pepper sauce goes perfectly with beans. You can make it yourself, as our mother did in our childhood, by pouring vinegar over hot peppers in a fruit jar. We buy ours now.