Follow easy, step-by-step, photo illustrated instructions for making this delicious Ham Bone Beans recipe. Use that leftover ham bone, or ham hock, to make this creamy bean dish that can be served as a side dish or a main dish either one. We’ll show you how to make it and we’ve got a printable recipe to go with it.
Ham-Bone Beans Recipe:
I finally found a way to use the leftover ham bone I’ve had in the freezer for the past couple of months. I placed it there after I completed making the Baked Picnic Ham Recipe that I posted here on Taste of Southern some time back. I’m glad I saved that bone.
I also had about half a package of dried Northern Beans leftover from making another recipe and had already sorted through the beans and placed them in soak when I decided to make Ham Bone Beans. Amazingly, for me, I even had some celery in the refrigerator. I don’t normally have celery on hand around here.
The beans had soaked over night and I was just going to cook them up with a ham hock when I spotted the ham bone in the freezer. That’s when I sat down and put this recipe on paper and began taking pictures of the process. It wasn’t my original plan but isn’t it neat how some things just happen that way?
It’s really a simple recipe and the end product turned out to be absolutely delicious. I added a little mixture of flour and water towards the end to thicken up the broth and that just turned the recipe into a creamy, almost soup like texture. Originally, I figured it would be just a good side dish but, after making some hoe cakes, I turned it into a main dish for my supper.
You can use a leftover ham bone if you have one, or ham hocks if you have those. Just make it a bit meaty and dig in. Are you ready to give it a try? Alright then… Let’s Get Cooking!
Ham-Bone Beans Recipe: You’ll need these ingredients.
OK, I’m jumping into this recipe a little further than usual.
So, to catch up a bit, you will need to sort through your dry Northern Beans to remove any bad beans, stones, or any other foreign items that might have ended up in the bag. Beans are harvested mechanically these days and they are not washed prior to being packaged. You need to check them for foreign objects before proceeding with any recipe.
The photo above is where they were after soaking overnight in water. Now, let’s move on with the recipe and use up some leftovers.
After soaking the beans overnight, drain them in a colander, and then rinse them under cold running water for a couple of minutes. Stir the beans around to help remove any dirt or dust that might be on the beans.
Place your ham bone or ham hocks in a large sauce pan. This one had been in the freezer for awhile but it’s fully cooked. I just added it to the pot as I knew it would warm up sufficiently by the time the beans were complete.
Add the rinsed and drained beans to the pot.
Add enough water to the sauce pot to cover the ham bone and beans with about three inches of water. Place the pot over Medium Heat on your stove top and let it come to a low boil. We’re going to let the beans cook, uncovered, for one hour before we add our seasonings and other items. You’ll need to stir them about every 20 minutes as they cook and to just keep an eye on them.
After about an hour, remove the ham bone or ham hocks, set them aside, and let them begin to cool.
As the beans near having cooked for about an hour, chop up the onions.
Then, chop the celery into small pieces.
Add the chopped Onions and chopped Celery to the cooking pot of beans.
Add the Sugar.
Add the Salt.
Add the Black Pepper.
Remove all the meat you can from the bone once it has cooled enough to where you can handle it without burning yourself. Place the meat back in the pot and allow the beans to continue to cook until they are done. You’ll need to taste the beans in order to be sure they are soft and tender to your liking. You’ll also want to taste them to see if they need more Salt or Pepper.
Mix two Tablespoons of Flour with enough COLD water to make a slurry. Stir it until all the large lumps have dissolved.
Add the Flour and Water mixture to the pot of beans and stir it in well. Let the beans continue to cook for a few minutes longer and it should thicken up into a nice and creamy broth. This will really depend on how much liquid you have remaining after the beans have cooked down. Adding the thickener is optional by the way. If you don’t want it to be creamy, just serve them as they are. It’s up to you.
Serve the beans while warm and… Enjoy!
