Ham Hocks & Beans (Slow Cooker)

Ham Hocks & Beans (Slow Cooker)

Adapted from an internet recipe.
Sounds like a good hock and bean recipe, bonus is any beans can be used. I made this on 15 Oct 2019, using 1 lb of Great Northern Beans and three smoked hocks that weighed a total of 2 1/4 lbs, cooked on Low for 6 hours and the beans and hocks were perfect, this recipe is a keeper.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Passive Time 8 hours
Total Time 14 hours 5 minutes
Course Main Dish
Cuisine American
Servings 6 servings

Ingredients
  

  • 500 grams dry beans, your choice, (1 lb)
  • 2-3 smoked ham hocks, (1-1 1/4 kilos / 2-2 1/2 lbs)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 6 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tablespoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1-2 quarts chicken broth, (4-8 cups)
  • salt and pepper, as desired, to taste

Instructions
 

  • Sort the beans and remove and discard any foreign debris, rinse, then place in a large bowl. Add water to cover by 2 inches. Cover and set aside to soak overnight.
  • When you are ready to start cooking, rinse the smoked hocks and place in your slow cooker.
  • Drain and rinse the beans, then place in your slow cooker. I am using Great Northern Beans for this batch then add the onion, garlic, oregano, and pepper.
  • Pour in 1-2 quarts of chicken broth so the broth is about 1 inch over the beans.
  • Turn your slow cooker to Low setting and set your timer for 6 hours, cooking until the beans are tender and hocks are falling apart. If the beans are not tender, continue cooking and check each hour afterwards. Six hours was perfect for me.
  • When the beans are soft, remove the hocks, use forks to remove the meat, discard the bones, skin, and fat.
  • Chop the meat and return to the slow cooker.
  • Taste, season with salt and pepper as desired, serve and enjoy.

Notes

This is Low cost per serving in the US, and for Thailand, I have never seen smoked hocks but I will come up with some recipes to prepare these as Thailand has excellent raw hocks, called 'pork side leg' at Tesco, for a very reasonable price.
Variants: 1. Stir in a can of drained diced tomatoes at the end of the 6 hours, heat through for 15 minutes, highly recommended. 2. Use smoked turkey legs in place of the hocks, also highly recommended.

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