"cybercat" > wrote in message
...
>
> "King's Crown" > wrote in message
> k.net...
>> Oh so good. Hubby came home and said the smell walking in the door just
>> about killed him it smelled so good and he was so hungry.
>>
>> Navy Bean Soup with Ham Hocks
>>
>> 1 lb. of small navy beans
>> 1 lb. of smoked ham hocks
>> 1 cup chopped onion
>> 1 chopped carrot
>> ½ teaspoon black pepper
>> ½ teaspoon celery seed
>> 2 cubes of chicken flavor bouillon
>> Pinch of baking soda
>> 1 tablespoon butter
>> Salt
>>
>> Follow bean preparation instructions on bean package. Add 6-8 cups of
>> hot
>> water to a pot. Add bouillon and stir until desolved, add the washed and
>> presoaked navy beans, smoked ham hocks, carrots, celery seed and baking
>> soda. Fry chopped onion in butter until light brown then add to pot.
>> Cover
>> Pot and boil slowly 2- 3 hours. Stir often. Last half hour add pepper,
> taste
>> it may not need any salt. Serve with corn bread. Serves: 4 generously
>>
>> Lynne's note: I always use the boil for 2 minutes, soak for an hour
> method
>> of preparing dried beans. As for the frying onion in butter... I'm too
> lazy
>> and I add a handful of dried minced onion instead.
>>
>>
>
> It is so much better with lean ham. Less fat to skim off, too.
>
>
I use a hamshank most of the time. This morning there isn't enough fat for
me to bother picking at it to get the fat off. I've used lean ham in the
past and it tends to be dry and rubbery compared to the hamhocks or shanks.

Lynne