Ham Hocks vs Ham Shanks and Beans...

[I Married Shrek]

Hi All! I love my 'zaar but when I search for a standard recipe for Ham Hocks and Beans I'm just getting #51459, which looks good, but I'm not sure if my beans will work with that particular recipe and not sure if shanks can replace the hocks. I have both Hocks and Shanks as I ended up going to 2 grocery stores to find them. The shanks look and smell heavenly, but wondering if the fat content is going to be enough to give me a nice and flavorful bean. I'm not sure how much of the beans to use vs the hocks

Does anyone have any tried and true methods for cooking these up in a crockpot? I've got a small bag of White Northern Beans that I've soaked overnight and would like to get them into the crockpot in time for dinner. If nothing else, I would definitely like your opinions on it even if it doesn't help me today...
This is the crockpot I have, if it helps any..

[kris in ks]

I prefer to use ham shanks over ham hocks. To me, the ham hocks don't deliver as much meat after hours of cooking. If I can only find ham hock, then I also buy a ham steak or thick cut sliced ham and throw that in the crockpot as well. To make mine, I put in my soaked beans, chicken broth, lots of salt and pepper, ham shanks, 1 onion (usually I just cut it into quarters) and 2 bay leaves. Then I cook it all day. Hope that helps!

Kristen

[Shirl (J) 831]

I would have to agree with Kris pretty much the same way she does it, is the way I do it.

shirl

[Chris Brad]

I have a leftover ham bone from Easter with quite a lot of meat on it still, and was going to use it tomorrow for beans. Thanks for the suggestion of chicken broth!

[Chris Brad]

I had made chicken the night before, kept the "drippings" and put it in the frig overnight. In the morning, I scooped the fat off, and used it with the beans and ham the next day. Dh said it was the best beans he ever had!

[Auntie Jan]

Ham Shanks Rule!