Kay"s Han and Beans

 

Depending on the amount of water this can be a soup you just need to add more water
towards the end of the cooking cycle. (The pound of ham at our house comes from the
left over ham and ham bone after having made and served a honey baked ham.)

1 pound ham cut into small pieces1
1 bag of small white Northern beans
10 bay leaves
Black pepper
Crushed red pepper
1 large can chopped tomatoes
Pinch of ground cloves
5 tablespoons brown sugar
1 large yellow onion, chopped coarsely

Cover beans with 5 quarts of water and soak over night.2 Drain. Add enough water back
into pot to cover beans by 1 ½ inches. Add ham and ham bone if available and all other
ingredients. Bring to a boil then cook slowly for four hours. Add water as necessary.
(Ham may already have enough salt that no more is needed, but correct seasoning at the
end just before serving as required.)

Notes:
1. I make a variation on this recipe that substitutes two smoked ham-hocks that have been sawn by
the butcher into chunks.
2. Some of the chemical compounds in beans that contribute to flatulence are water-soluble and will
be partially removed when the bean soak-water is discarded. If your water is very hard (having
lots of minerals) the beans would benefit from bottled water for cooking and soaking.
Alternatively, filter the water through a activated carbon water filter before using. Hard water may
also require extended cooking times.