Ham and Beans

Ham and Beans

Time: 1 hrs

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 lbs dried pink beans or 2 1/2 lbs pinto beans
• 2 tablespoons bacon fat (or can use veg. oil)
• ham bone (or ham hocks)
• 2 jalapenos, chopped (have used 2T of canned)
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped (I use 5 cloves)
• 2 -4 cups chicken broth
• 1 bay leaf, broken in half
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 teaspoon salt

Directions

• 1 Soak beans overnight or cover with water and bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
• 2 Turn off heat and let stand for one hour. Then drain off all liquid.
• 3 Melt bacon fat in a 5 quart pot and add chiles, onions, garlic, oregano and cumin. Saute til soft about 5 minutes.
• 4 Add drained beans, broth, water can be used instead of the broth, but I use 4c broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer til beans are tender or about 2 hours.
• 5 After cooking, add salt and cayenne and remove the bay leaf. More salt can be added according to your taste.