OLD SCHOOL HAM BONE BEANS *****

OLD SCHOOL HAM BONE BEANS ***** image

How to make OLD SCHOOL HAM BONE BEANS *****

Provided by @MakeItYours

Number Of Ingredients 24

Ingredients

For the Ham Stock:
1 large meaty hambone
Water to cover, plus two inches
2 whole celery stalks (ribs) with leaves, rinsed and cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, unpeeled, rinsed and cut into large chunks
1 large onion, unpeeled and quartered
4 sprigs of fresh parsley
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon of whole peppercorns
For the Beans:
1 tablespoon of bacon fat or oil
1 cup of chopped onion
1/4 cup of chopped celery
1 carrot, scraped and chopped
1 tablespoon of minced garlic
1 pound package of dried lima beans or white beans (Great Northern or Navy)
2 slices of thick cut bacon, cooked and drippings reserved
2 cups leftover cooked ham, chopped
1 cup of frozen corn, optional
1-1/2 tablespoons of all purpose flour
1 teaspoon of kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon of Cajun seasoning (like Slap Ya Mama), or to taste
1 cup of reserved stock

Steps:

Place ham bone in a large stockpot, along with the remaining stock ingredients, cover with water plus another 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour. Strain, reserving the bone and stock; discard vegetables. Once cooled, pick off any meat from the bone, reserving the meat and discarding the bone. Set aside 1 cup of the stock.
Heat the oil in the bottom of the pot and add the chopped onion, celery and carrot; cook over medium until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, cook another minute. Rinse and sort through the beans, add to the pot, along with the reserved, strained stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Meanwhile, in a separate small skillet, cook the bacon until lightly crisped, remove and chop, reserving the bacon drippings. Add the bacon, ham and corn, if using, to the beans; simmer for 30 minutes longer.
Warm the bacon drippings, stir in the flour and cook until lightly browned. Stir in the reserved cup of stock a little at a time to make a gravy and bring to a boil; cook and stir until smooth. Transfer the gravy to the bean pot, stir in, add the salt, pepper and Cajun seasoning, and continue on a simmer, another 30 minutes, or until beans are fully tender. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve as is, or over hot, cooked rice.
Cook's Notes: Can substitute 2 to 3 ham hocks for the ham bone. Okay to use frozen, drained, canned corn, or fresh corn that has been cooked, or omit. To make this into a soup, increase the water in the stock to cover the stock ingredients by double.
Source: http://deepsouthdish.com