Ham Hocks and Red Beans

This was a warm and satisfying meal.  I do love a one pot type meal.  Delicious and satisfying.  Thanks to Cooking Lights good ideas, its rather light as well.  It certainly does not skimp on flavor.  If I had green onions I would have added them in for garnish.  Being on a low budget at the end of this month, green onions, just were not at the top of the list. This was a perfect meal as I had some chopped red peppers in my freezer and the hocks as well.

Ham Hocks and Red Beans
Adapted from this recipe from Cooking Light, November 2003


Ham hocks:
1 medium onion
3 whole cloves
10 cup water
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
4 smoked ham hocks (about 2 pounds)
4 bay leaves
1 whole onion
3 garlic cloves
2 celery stalks, coarsely chopped
1 carrot, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon dried thyme

Beans:
1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 teaspoon dried marjoram
8 sun-dried tomato halves, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups red pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped carrot
1/2 cup chopped celery
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To prepare ham hocks:  Place onion, water, cloves, and next 8 ingredients (water through thyme sprig) in a stockpot; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 4 hours. Remove hocks from stock. Strain stock through a sieve into a large bowl; discard solids. Cool stock to room temperature. Cover and chill hocks and stock separately 8 hours or overnight. Remove meat from bones; finely chop. Discard bones, skin, and fat. Skim solidified fat from surface of stock; discard fat. Reserve 4 cups stock.

To prepare beans, sort and wash beans; place in a large Dutch oven. Cover with water to 2 inches above beans. Cover and let stand 8 hours or overnight. Drain.

Combine beans and reserved stock in a Dutch oven. Add chopped thyme, fennel seeds, marjoram, and tomato; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 1 hour and 15 minutes or until beans are tender.

While beans simmer, heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion, 1 cup carrot, 1/2 cup celery, chopped red peppers and 2 garlic cloves; cover. Cook 10 minutes; stir occasionally. Add vegetable mixture, ham, ground pepper, and salt to bean mixture.

Calories 366 ( 1 cup)

Serve with rice and/or cornbread.