Five Porks and Two Beans

With a big mug of black coffee... I want for nothing.

• Ready In: 1 min
• Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 2  cups dried great northern beans, soaked over-night
• 2  cups  dried cranberry beans, soaked over-night
• 4  ounces  fresh pork sausage
• 8  ounces bacon, chopped
• 3  ounces country ham, diced
• 5  ounces chorizo sausage, smoked, sliced into thick coins
• 1  ham hock
• 10  cups  stock (I use homemade Chicken)
• 10  garlic cloves, peeled, crushed but whole
• 2  onions, quartered
• 2  carrots, peeled and quartered
• 2  stalks celery, quartered
• 1  lemon, quartered with most seeds removed
•  pepper
•  cayenne, pinch

Directions

1. In a large dutch oven, saute the pork sausage and bacon for about 5 minutes -- until cooked about halfway.
2. Add the ham, chorizo, beans, cold stock and ham hock. Bring to a boil.
3. Cut back down to a simmer. Add garlic, onion, carrots, celery and lemon. Season.
4. Cover. Simmer for 45 minutes-1 hour (until beans are tender). Stir occasionally and skim the foam from the top, as it forms.
5. I serve this in a big bowl, bubbling hot, laddled over raw, baby spinach (it will wilt it immediately) with a sprinkling of the best balsamic vinegar and best extra virgin olive oil I can afford. This is brothy, steamy comfort food for me. The vegetables melt in your mouth. Enjoy!