For 40 years, I was camp cook at our biannual gatherings. The main reason I volunteered is that if I had not, we would have had Cheetos and Little Debbie’s for every meal. So, I cooked, and for 40 years I always cooked a big pot of beans every trip. Beans are something most of us don’t often eat at home. That’s because they aren’t very exciting, and wives usually don’t bother with them. Yet, when we have them, that’s the first thing that folks get when they go back for seconds.
Several months ago, I bought a Shank Portion Smoked Ham, and we ate on it down to the bone, which then went in the freezer. Yesterday, I retrieved the bone, let it thaw and added it to a big pot of Great Northern beans, which then simmered all day long. We enjoyed those beans for three days in a row, each time going back for seconds.
This is my recipe for a great pot of beans, nothing new, but hopefully good enough to encourage all those cooks out there to not toss out the Easter ham bone but save it for a pot of beans. Cook these and fill the kitchen with a tantalizing aroma which will bring everyone back for seconds.
A Pot of Beans
Early in the morning, or the night before if you plan ahead, empty a 1-pound package of Great Northern dried beans into a 4 qt. pot. Let the beans soak for a couple hours, then drain off the water and add more.
Sometime around noon, add the ham bone and a good bit of salt and black pepper to the pot, bring to a low boil, cut the heat back and let it simmer throughout the day, adding water as needed.
If you really want to show off, cook some cornbread in a cast iron skillet to go with the beans. There are few things on earth that taste better than ham-seasoned beans and cornbread slathered in butter.
1 lb. pkg. Great Northern Beans
1 bone from a Shank Portion Smoked Ham
S & P
(Cornbread optional)