Appalachian Soup Beans

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Experience some traditional Appalachian home cooking with this hearty, comforting dish. The flavours are simple but deep and will warm your tummy as well as your heart.

Soaking Time: Overnight

Prep Time: 20 min

Roasting Time: 2.5 hrs

Cook time: 1-1.5 hrs

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Roasted Ham Hocks

• 2 ham hocks

• 1 onion

• 3 garlic

• salt & pepper

• olive oil

• 1/2 beer

• juniper berries

• cinnamon stick

• bay leaf

Beans

• 500g dried pinto beans

• 1/4 lb bacon

• 1 onion

• 1 celery

• 4 garlic

• 2 cups chicken broth

• 2 roasted ham hocks

• 1 bay leaf

• 2 sprigs fresh thyme

• 1/2 tsp salt & pepper

Directions

Roasted Ham Hocks

1. Pre-heat oven to 450F.

2. In shallow dutch oven add coarsely chopped onions and garlic. Sprinkle the pork hocks with salt and pepper and place on top of the onions & garlic. Drizzle the meat with olive oil and add half of a beer to the bottom of the dutch oven.

3. Place into the pre-heated oven and bake at 425F for 25min.

4. Reduce the oven temperature to 350F and add the juniper, cinnamon and bay leaf to the pan before roasting for a further 1-2 hrs.

5. Remove from the oven and set aside ham hocks to be used in the beans, discard all other roasted ingredients.

   
   

Soup Beans

1. Measure out 500g of dried pinto beans into a large bowl. Fill with water, 2-inches above the height of the beans. Cover and let soak overnight. Drain and rinse the beans.

2. In a large pot or dutch oven, fry sliced bacon over medium heat for 6-8 min or until it begins to crisp.

3. Add the onion and celery to the pot and continue to fry for a further 5 min or until the onion begins to soften and turn translucent.

4. Add the garlic and quickly cook for 30 sec before adding the chicken broth, bay, thyme salt and pepper.

5. Nestle the roasted ham hocks in the beans and then add enough water to just cover all the ingredients. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 1 to 1.5 hrs or until the beans are soft enough to mash against the side of the pot with a wooden spoon and the meat on the hock is falling off.

6. Discard the skin on the ham hock and shred the meat into the beans.

7. Season with additional salt and pepper to taste and then serve.

   
   

Zhuzh it up!

• Use a smoked ham hock if you can find it and avoid the roasting step.

This amazing recipe was adapted from Blair Lonergan's Appalachian Soup Beans