Pinto beans with ham hocks are a Southern favorite, traditionally served with cornbread. They go well with barbecue, tacos or burritos, and fried chicken, and are an ideal potluck dish. The ham hock seasons the beans and makes the dish hearty enough to serve on its own, but if you want even meatier beans, add extra diced ham. Make sure to start several hours ahead of time or the night before since the beans need to soak; this results in a nice and moist finished dish.
To keep with tradition, serve these pinto beans with hot, freshly baked cornbread or cornbread muffins. Many Southerners insist on a spoonful of relish, such as chow, alongside their beans. You can also serve this dish with corn relish, sweet pickle relish, or quick tomato chutney. Add a salad for a well-balanced lunch or dinner.
Does a Ham Hock Need to Be Washed Before Cooking?
Smoked ham hocks (also called pig knuckles) do not need any special prep like rinsing. They’re already smoked and therefore lightly cooked, but don’t serve them as is. They need to be cooked low and slow to render all of the fat and collagen, which flavors the dish. While they don’t offer much actual meat, they contribute tons of flavor. If you find fresh ham hocks, you can brine them for up to a week and smoke them yourself.
HOW TO SERVE PINTO BEANS?
As I mentioned before, I grew up ladling these hearty, flavorful beans over the top of a tender-crumbed cornbread. To this day that’s still my favorite way to serve up this recipe!
Recipe Variations
If you just want a bit of extra flavor, add 3 cloves of minced garlic to the beans before slow cooking.
Dice a medium onion and add that to the beans. This will give extra depth to the dish.
If it’s a little extra texture, heartiness, or color that you’re looking for, try dicing a red or green bell pepper and adding it to the beans.
For a Tex-Mex flavor twist, add 2 teaspoons of chili powder and about 1/2 teaspoon of ground cumin (or to taste). Add a 14-ounce can of diced tomatoes (chili style, fire-roasted, or tomatoes with green chile peppers) when you season them with salt and pepper. Cook for about 20 minutes longer and serve them with corn or flour tortillas or crushed tortilla chips.
For a vegetarian pinto bean dish, omit the ham hock and add extra seasonings for flavor. Or add a meat replacement to the beans, such as veggie bacon or seitan.
For a smoky flavor, add a bit of liquid smoke or smoked paprika to the beans.
How do you store ham hocks?
Storing Ham Hocks
Fresh ham hocks need to be kept cold and used within a week or else stored in the freezer until ready to cook. Ham hocks maintain flavor well and freezing doesn’t affect it too much. Once cooked, the ham hock will remain usable in the refrigerator for about a week or longer in the freezer.
How to store pinto beans?
Place beans in an airtight container.
If you want to store dried beans for longer than a month, put them in an airtight storage container, such as a mylar bag or a glass jar. Keep the beans in a cool, dark, dry place. They should last three years in the container.
Storing Ham Hocks
Fresh ham hocks need to be kept cold and used within a week or else stored in the freezer until ready to cook. Ham hocks maintain flavor well and freezing doesn’t affect it too much. Once cooked, the ham hock will remain usable in the refrigerator for about a week or longer in the freezer.
How to store pinto beans?
To reheat baked beans on the stove, pour the beans into a pot and heat them on low heat. If the beans are dry, add stock, milk, or water a tablespoon at a time until you reach the right consistency. Continue heating the beans, stirring frequently until they’re piping hot
Tips:
The beans will have the best texture and cook in a single day if you soak them first, so don’t skip that step. Otherwise, you’ll be slow cooking from dawn until dusk.
If you end up with an extra ham hock, they are great for freezing. Wrap tightly and store for up to six months.
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Ham Hocks
- 1 lb Pinto Beans
- 3 cloves Garlic
- 1 32 ounces chicken broth (less Sodium)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 1 medium onion minced
- 1 stalk celery minced
- 1/2 Green bell pepper minced
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- 1 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley and thyme
- 1 cube vegetable bouillon
Instructions :
wash ham hocks and add to stock pot with 8 cups water boil for 2 hours.
After 2 hours clean your beans and wash add to the stock pot with the 32-ounce chicken broth minced garlic and all the rest of the seasonings above !!
cook for another 2 and a half hours or until peas cook soft and buttery !!
