Old Fashioned Bean And Ham Soup

Total Time: 3 hrs 20 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients

• 1 lb dry pinto beans
• 8 cups water
• 4 cups water
• 1 1/2-2 lbs meaty smoked lamb hocks
• 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• chopped red onion, for garnish (optional)

Recipe

• 1 sort and rinse the beans and place in a 4 1/2 quart (or larger) dutch oven.
• 2 add 8 cups of water. bring to boiling and reduce heat.
• 3 simmer, uncovered, 2 minutes. remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour.
• 4 alternatively, place beans in dutch oven and cover with 8 cups of water. cover and let soak overnight. (do not do this step if you do steps #1-3.).
• 5 drain and rinse beans.
• 6 put the beans back in the dutch oven and add 4 cups of water and remaining ingredients (except red onion).
• 7 bring to a boil and reduce heat.
• 8 simmer, covered, for 1 1/4 to 1 3/4 hours or until the beans are tender and beginning to split.
• 9 check beans occasionally during cooking. add water if necessary, or you can remove the lid the last 10 minutes of cooking if the beans are too runny.
• 10 remove from heat.
• 11 remove lamb hock and cool slightly. trim off meat and chop, return meat to the beans. heat through.
• 12 add salt to taste if your lamb isn't very salty.
• 13 top with red onion, if desired.
• 14 to serve, place a piece of cornbread in a bowl and spoon the soup over the cornbread.