Best Southern Style Beans With Ham Recipes

SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS WITH HAM

Steps:

• Rinse and sort the beans. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the rinsed beans, ham hock, bay leaf, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat slightly just so that it's at a low boil, and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce heat again just so that the liquid is simmering. Cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until beans are tender. Check the beans after 1 hour, because they may be soft enough at that point if you like your beans a bit more firm. If you prefer the beans really soft and broken down, you may prefer to extend the cooking time to 2 hours. While the beans are cooking, check to occasionally make sure that the beans are covered with water (adding more water, if necessary). Discard bay leaf, remove ham hock from the pot, and shred or chop the meat. Return chopped meat to the pot with the beans. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish individual servings with hot sauce and herbs; serve with cornbread.

SOUTHERN PINTO BEANS

Steps:

• Inspect the beans to remove any small rocks or debris. Rinse well.
• Place the beans, 8 cups of water, ham hock, bouillion cubes, and chopped onion in a large pot with a lid. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer. Add salt to taste. I usually add about 1 teaspoon, but the exact amount of salt needed will vary based on the sodium level in the brand of bouillon and your taste.
• Cook over medium low for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until tender to your liking. Remove the ham hock, shred the meat, and return it to the pot, if desired.

HAM AND BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse beans in a large pot; discard shriveled beans and any small stones. Add 8 cups of cold water. Let stand overnight or at least 8 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
• Return beans to pot and add ham, onion, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne and parsley and water to cover. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until beans are tender. Add more water if necessary during cooking time.

SOUTHERN HAM AND BROWN BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans and water in a large stockpot. Add the ham hock, onion and garlic. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for one hour.
• Return the pot to the heat, and bring to a boil once again. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer for at least 3 hours to blend flavors. The longer you simmer, the thicker the broth will become. I like to cook mine for about 6 hours.
• Remove the ham hock from the broth, and let cool. Remove the meat from the bone, and return the meat to the stockpot, discarding the bone. Adjust seasonings to taste.

SOUTHERN STYLE BEANS WITH HAM

Steps:

• PLACE beans in in a large soup pot with an accompanying lid; COVER beans with 2 inches cold water; BRING to a boil (uncovered); BOIL 2 minutes.
• DRAIN beans; RINSE well with running cold water.
• RETURN beans to pot; COVER beans with cold water again; BRING to boiling again for 2 minutes uncovered; DRAIN in colander; RINSE well with running cold water; ALLOW beans to drain until needed.
• IN the same large heavy pot over medium heat, add the bacon fat until sizzling; ADD ham shanks and cook, turning, until evenly seared, about 7 minutes; REMOVE shanks with tongs; SET aside.
• ADD onions; COOK, stirring, for 5 minutes; ADD garlic and drained beans; COOK for just one minute, stirring.
• POUR in 7 cups cold water; STIR in the remaining seasonings except the pickled pepper brine.
• BRING mixture to full boiling for 2 minutes.
• REDUCE heat to medium-low (at approximately the "2 1/2" - "2 3/4" numeric stovetop heat setting); SIMMER beans uncovered for a minimum of 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally.
• AFTER 1 1/2 hours check beans (beans should be creamy and the meat should easily fall off of the bones (if desired, continue cooking and stirring uncovered, to desired consistency); CLEAN meat from bone portion of meat (discard bones); SEASON with pickled pepper brine; STIR well and cook 5 additional minutes; RE-SEASON with salt and freshly ground black pepper if desired.
• SERVE and enjoy!