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Southern PInto Beans
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Southern Pinto Beans

Southern Pinto Beans cooked with smoked ham hocks, are tender with a hearty brown soup. Pairs well with Homemade Self-Rising Cornbread. Recipe and photography by Beverly Davis for CornbreadMillionaire.com.
Prep Time2 hours
Cook Time1 hour
Total Time3 hours
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: southern
Keyword: #pintobeans, #vegetables, sidedish
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 70kcal

Ingredients

  • 1 bag (20 ounces) dry pinto beans
  • 1 smoked ham hock
  • 1 large onion (optional) Peeled and chopped.
  • salt to taste
  • 1 large onion, peeled and chopped To garnish each serving (optional).

Instructions

PREPARE PINTO BEANS

  • Inspect, sort and rinse pinto beans.
  • Soak "rinsed" beans as instructed on the back of the package. Use Quick Soak Method or Overnight Soak Method (Suggested).

PREPARE SMOKED HAM HOCK

  • One hour before pinto beans are through soaking, prepare ham hock.
  • Thoroughly rinse smoked ham hock. Place in a large pot. Add water until it rises 2 inches about the meat.
  • Simmer over medium-high heat for 1 hour. Check after 30 minutes. If water drops below meat, add enough to cover it. Continue simmering over medium-high heat for 30 more minutes.
  • After simmering ham hock for 1 hour, turn heat off. Cover pot with a lid. Set aside.

SOUTHERN PINTO BEANS

  • When the pinto beans are through soaking, do the following...
  • Place a colander OR bowl in the sink. Pour in pinto beans AND soak water. Rinse thoroughly with cold water.
  • Pour SOAKED/RINSED pinto beans into the same pot with the ham hock and "seasoned" water. Add chopped onions (if using). Pour in water until it rises 2 inches above contents. Stir together.
  • Cover and simmer over medium heat until beans reach desired tenderness.
  • Check after 30 minutes. If water drops low before beans reach desired tenderness, add more water until it rises at l1 inch above contents.
  • AFTER pinto beans reach desired tenderness, add preferred amount of salt and sprinkle in the Ham Flavor Packet (pictured above). Soup should be thick and brown (not watery).
  • Gently stir. Cover pot with lid. Let stand 2 minutes. Taste a "cooled" sample. Add more salt if desired.
  • Serve hot. Garnish each serving with chopped onions (optional).
  • REFRIGERATION TIP: Pour cooled pinto beans and ham hocks into a container. Cover with an airtight lid. Refrigerate up to four days.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 70kcal | Protein: 6g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 23mg | Sodium: 53mg | Potassium: 78mg | Calcium: 4mg | Iron: 1mg