Ham & Beans with Hot Water Cornbread

 

Ham & Beans with Hot Water Cornbread

This is an old Appalachian recipe that was really famous during the great depression as well. I grew up on Ham and Beans and love it to this day. Paired with Hot Water Cornbread, you have a complete meal in my opinion. Let me know what you think about this version and y’all enjoy.

 

Ham & Beans
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons oil
1 package White Northern Beans
1 medium onion diced
2 carrots diced small
2 smoked ham hocks
1 tablespoon Better Than Bouillon Ham base.
8 cups water (add as needed to keep above beans)
2 cups cubed ham.
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in large Dutch oven or stock pot. Add the onions and carrots and sauté till softened.
Add in the Better Than Bouillon and stir well to combine.
Add in the ham hocks
Pour in beans and water. Stir to bring together.
Cover and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about an hour.
Pull out Ham Hocks and shred meat and add back to the beans with the ham.
Taste and add salt and pepper to taste.
Cover and let simmer till beans are softened to your liking

Hot Water Cornbread

1 1/2 cup self rising corn meal.
Enough HOT tap water to bring together. Should be a thin pancake batter consistency
2-3 tablespoons lard or Crisco.

Place your fat in the cast-iron skillet and put in oven to heat while you bring oven to 400°F.
Mix together the corn meal and water and mix well.
Once oven is preheated, pull the cast-iron skillet out and fill the batter into the skillet.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.