Brown Beans

Ingredients

• • 1 lb dry pinto beans / borlotti beans (aka cranberry / October beans), soaked overnight

  • 8 cups water

  • 1 large, meaty ham hock (omit for vegetarian version)

  • 1 large onion, chopped (for the stew)

  • 1 small onion, chopped (for the garnish)

  • 2 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1 teaspoon chili powder

  • 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

  • ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper, or to taste

  • ketchup (for serving)

To Prepare

• 1. Place the beans and water in a large stockpot. Add the ham hock, large onion, and garlic. Season with chili powder, salt and pepper.

  2. Bring to a boil, and cook for 2 minutes. Cover, and remove from heat. Let stand for one hour.

  3. Return the pot to the heat, and bring to a boil once again. Reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer, uncovered, for at least 3 hours to blend flavors.

  4. (Note from Carol: The longer you simmer, the thicker the broth will become. I like to cook mine for about 6 hours.)

  5. Remove the ham hock from the broth, and let cool. Remove the meat from the bone, and return the meat to the stockpot, discarding the bone. Adjust seasonings to taste.

To Serve

Ladle into bowls and garnish with ketchup, diced raw onion, and slaw. Southern cornbread is the standard accompaniment, usually mixed right in to the soup, but northern would be great too. (Or try another variant: instead of - or in addition to - cornbread, ladle over steamed rice.)