Old Fashioned Bean and Ham Soup

This is the stuff I grew up on; beans, ham and lots of flavor. Serve it with cornbread and it makes the perfect winter soup.

• Ready In: 3 hrs 20 mins
• Serves: 6
• Yields: 1 cup

Ingredients

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

Directions

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 pork hock and cool slightly. Trim off meat and chop, return meat to the beans. Heat through.
12. Add salt to taste if your pork 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.