Ultimate Great Northern Beans

Bone Man's Note:

I usually cook these outdoors, suspending a cast iron pot over a campfire but honestly, they taste about the same on the stovetop. And the flavor is just great. If you've yet to adopt a cooked beans recipe, this might be the one you're looking for. It's right out of Appalachia.

• Total Time: 11 hrs
• Prep Time: 8 hrs
• Cook Time: 3 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 8

• 16 ounces great northern beans
• 30 ounces chicken broth (canned)
• 15 ounces diced tomatoes with green chilies (ro-tel)
• 1 large white onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon cooking oil
• 6 ounces smoked pork pork jowl, cut into chunks
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 48 ounces water

Directions:

1. Soak the beans in cold water overnight. Make sure that there is twice as much water as beans because they will swell up.
2. In a large cooking pot, pour in the cooking oil and toss in the smoked jowl pieces. Stir and allow them to sizzle over medium heat for 5 or 6 minutes. After they brown a bit, deglaze the pot with about 4 ounces of the chicken broth.
3. Add the onion and allow to simmer until the onion is tender, stirring often.
4. Rinse the beans in fresh water a final time and, after draining, add them, plus all the remaining ingredients into the pot. This should include the 48 ounces of water listed in the ingredients.
5. Boil, covered, over low heat until beans are tender, stirring occasionally (about 2-3 hours).
6. Serve with cornbread, fried potatoes, eggs and biscuits.
7. If you wish, you can use chunks of ham or bacon instead of pork jowl.

Reviews

[Chef Gary in Mesquite, TX]

I feel bad beacuase I have made these many times and have not taken the time to review them. This has become a staple recipe for me and is enjoyed by all of my family. I like to pair the beans with Mike Garcia's Sweet Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread. The sweetness of the cornbread with the spiciness of the beans compliment each other very well. I have never used hog jowl but have had great success with ham chunks and ham hocks. I would have loved to have had this recipe when I was a Scout leader, I think it would have been wonderful cooked over an open fire in a Dutch Oven alongside some peach dump cake (a sort of peach cobbler prepared in a Dutch Oven)!

[xpnsve]

Oh. My. Gawd. These are insanely good. Made exactly as directed, except threw in a ham bone with meat on it. Used the quick soak method (I forgot to soak them last night, but reeeaaaally wanted beans tonight!) and cooked it all together for 2 hours. Came out so freak delish!!! Just moved to the south and this was my first time making beans. OOH you made me look like a pro! Thanks so much!!

[dzyla]

So glad I spent a few minutes searching for a new way to cook great northern beans. These are wonderful. I did cut back on the liquid a little bit as I don't like my beans too 'soupy' and I went ahead and used all of two 10-oz. cans of Rotelle. Both a smoked pork hock and chopped up ham. Delicious. Perfect, served with corn muffins (substitute sour cream for the milk, add a handful of shredded cheddar and a drained 4 oz. can of chopped chilies).