I made Ham, Green Beans and Potatoes for us Girls and then I made Country Style Ham and Pinto Beans for my Husband and Son.   The Girls like Green Beans the Guys don’t – So this works and everyone is HAPPY! 💚 Of course My Grandma’s Cornbread recipe is delicious with this! 

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COUNTRY STYLE HAM AND PINTO BEANS

When my husband was stationed in Fort Benning Georgia, he fell in love with many of the Southern delicacies, pinto beans being one of them! He claims they were not only a side dish, BUT they were the whole meal.

I love sprinkling diced fresh onion on my beans and serve them with a slice of cornbread. These would also be good served with a side of pan-fried potatoes and a slice of fried ham or pork chops and oh my, that is some good southern eating!

1 lb. dry pinto beans
1 smoked ham hock
1-1/2 lb. ham, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 – 2 tablespoons ham base (see note)
Pepper
Parsley – dried or fresh
Water

I start by placing ham hock in a large stockpot, add enough water to almost cover the ham hock – sprinkle pepper, parsley and ham base – I let this come to a boil while I clean and sort the beans.

Place beans in a colander, rinse, sort and remove any that don’t look right ~ If in doubt ~ throw it out! HaHa

The bag will tell you that you can soak your beans OR you can parboil them ~ WHAT? Nonsense – HaHa…. I’m going to be cooking them for several hours, because we all know good beans take time, they will be fine!

Place beans and cubed ham into stockpot, make sure they are completely covered with water add additional water, if necessary, cover the beans and ham cook on high for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to simmer add in onions and celery – continue to cook and stirring occasionally for 2-2-1/2 hours – check beans to make sure they are fully softened – if not cook a little longer. Keep an eye on your broth if it begins to reduce, add a bit more water so that beans remain submerged during cooking time. Remove ham bone from pot; remove any ham meat from bone and add the ham back into the pot – discard the bone. Do a test taste – Season with additional ham base and pepper if needed. The broth will thicken slightly as the amount of water reduces through the long cooking times.

NOTE ON HAM BASE – Ham base is a rich brown paste base made with the cured ham, natural juices and flavors. Prepared, this base has the delicate smoky flavor and aroma of ham stock – bases tend to be a little salty. I tend to like salt. 😏 Use base to your discretion. Start with a small amount and add more if needed. This will be a taste thing!

Recipe By: Kim Wallace ♥ Smile & Enjoy ♥