Might be a good day to clean out the fridge:
(Not my fridge - but sure looks like it:)
Might be a good day to clean out the fridge:
(Not my fridge - but sure looks like it:)
1 hambone w/roughly 3/4 lb of meat OR 2 large smoked hamhocks (or 3 small ones)
1/2 lb chunked ham
1/2-3/4 lb bacon, trimmed of fat and cut into bite-sized pieces
If you like it meatier, add more ham/bacon/whatever.
2 lbs white beans (great northern, navy, your choice)
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp ground mustard (ground hot mustard is very good here)
1/2 tsp ground clove
3 tsps hickory Liquid Smoke
1/2 gal + 1 14-15 oz can of chicken broth
3 carrots, cut into small cubes
2 celery ribs, cut into small pieces
1/2 medium onion, diced
(optional) 3-4 large cloves garlic, minced
Soak beans overnight in large bowl, with water 1 inch over top of the beans.
Cut as much ham from the bone as possible and trim most of its excess fat OR (if using hamhocks) score the outside of the hamhocks **thoroughly** with a sharp knife, exposing lots of meat.
In a 6-quart pot (or larger), place ham bone OR hamhocks, add chicken broth and a few grinds of pepper. Discard water from the beans and add beans and carrots to pot. Set stovetop heat to medium. Cover pot.
Fry bacon pieces lightly over medium heat until about halfway done.
After pot has come to temp and meat is starting to separate from ham bone/ham hocks (say 40-50 minutes), add bacon (I like to add the bacon oil, too, but that's your call), chunked ham, celery and onion. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 1 hour (NO peeking!). Stir well.
If too thick to your eye, add 1 cup water (or more to achieve desired consistency). Add a few more grinds of black pepper. Add mustard, clove, garlic (if used) and liquid smoke and stir well. Re-cover and cook on low for 30-60 minutes, or until you consider it done to your taste.
I prefer this soup somewhat mushy and will usually cook it a bit longer.
If you've never cooked with hamhocks, you will find that the meat tends to come off the bone in great chunks. You might want to remove the hamhock meat, chop it a bit, and add it back. Or not. You probably DO want to remove the fat chunks from the hamhocks that have found their way into the soup.
Remove ham bone/hamhocks and serve with cornbread or garlic bread.
And beer. ;^)