Mom's Ham and Bean Soup recipe

[cookwewill]

Bean soup is one of my favorite ones. I make mine with smoked pork ribs that I boil first to make the stock, then take the meat of the bone and discard the bones. And when serving, I add a bunch of flat noodles.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Bean soup is one of my favorite ones. I make mine with smoked pork ribs that I boil first to make the stock, then take the meat of the bone and discard the bones. And when serving, I add a bunch of flat noodles.

Country style ribs are great for bean soup, or even baked beans for that matter.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Just Cooking]

Bumping this with a thought.

Its obvious that many of us really enjoy ham hocks and beans.

My family has made one version or another since I was a child. (1940's )

One thing which has remained a constant, which most people I speak to do NOT like is, since those early days of loving ham hock and beans, I have always mixed a spurt of ketchup into my bowl of beans.

Anyone else add anything to their bowl of beans?

Ross

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Vinegar

 

[bethzaring]

My Hispanic husbands' family always add tomato sauce to beans. And the beans are always pintos. I also add 1T. vinegar to a large pot of beans.

 

[Just Cooking]

My Hispanic husbands' family always add tomato sauce to beans. And the beans are always pintos. I also add 1T. vinegar to a large pot of beans.

Tom sauce as part of the cooking process? And pinto beans instead of navy or great northern beans?

Interesting.

My Hispanic step father did pinto beans in a similar fashion but, it was a different dish than our ham hock and beans dish.

Ross

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If your beans are old, the skin becomes more resilient and it takes much longer to soften the beans. This is also true of kidney beans. Soaking in a brine of salt, and baking soda replaces calcium in the been skin with sodium, and helps break down the pectin. This keeps the beans from bursting, while cooking, while decreasing the cooking time considerably. It also gives the inside of the beans a creamier texture. For your best beans, also add just a touch of umami bomb flavor, such as mashed anchovy, sardines, Poison sauce, etc., not enough to taste, just enough to boost the meaty flavors.

Of course, don't add any acidic ingredients until the beans are fully cooked, as it will react with the proteins, again keeping the beans from softening.

Kenji explains it all very well in his video about cooking beans.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[bethzaring]

If your beans are old, the skin becomes more resilient and it takes much longer to soften the beans. This is also true of kidney beans. Soaking in a brine of salt, and baking soda replaces calcium in the been skin with sodium, and helps break down the pectin. This keeps the beans from bursting, while cooking, while decreasing the cooking time considerably. It also gives the inside of the beans a creamier texture. For your best beans, also add just a touch of umami bomb flavor, such as mashed anchovy, sardines, Poison sauce, etc., not enough to taste, just enough to boost the meaty flavors.

Of course, don't add any acidic ingredients until the beans are fully cooked, as it will react with the proteins, again keeping the beans from softening.

Kenji explains it all very well in his video about cooking beans.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

+1

The tomato sauce is added at the end of cooking the pinto beans. My DH has not heard of navy or great northern beans. He was born and raised in Northern New Mexico.