Dad’s Beans And Ham Hocks With Corn Bread

 Dad was always a “make a big pot of beans” kind of guy.  And this was one of his favorite “cook all day” meals.  You can either soak the beans overnight, or speed up the process by boiling them (I included directions on both methods).   He would always cook this for 2 to 4 hours, at least.   For this dish, he normally preferred to use pinto or white beans.   But he was also well known for using whatever he had on hand.   Honestly, there were no set rules in our house for what did or did not go in this dish.  It was extremely basic and simple in of itself (as you will see it is in the case of most recipes).  Then he would kind of throw in whatever little extra goodies sounded tasty to him that day.  So outside the basic formula, it was always slightly different.  But starting out, he did have several basic ingredients that were always included.   Which is what I put in the recipe.   You can tweak it to your liking.   I even remember one time where all we had was a package of bacon in the fridge (no ham hocks), so he fried that up and threw it in the beans instead!  Lol.   He has also used hamburger and cut up polish sausage links.   If you don’t eat pork, you can also use other bone-in meats (chicken with skin removed, beef, lamb, etc).    This recipe is easily doubled to suit your needs.   Dad always served it in a bowl, over corn bread, which I have also posted the recipe for. 

Dad’s Beans And Ham Hocks With Corn Bread

Ingredients:

1 bag (16 oz.) pinto or white beans

Water (you can also use stock, but boiling the meat/bones will make its own)

1 tablespoon cooking oil

1 large onion, diced (yellow, white or red)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

½ stick butter

2 bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

2 or 3 large bone-in ham hocks (be sure they have a decent amount of meat)

1 prepared dish of “Dad’s Corn Bread”, recipe posted here: 

Other Things Dad Sometimes Added:

Bell pepper diced

Chopped green chilies

Cumin and/or chili powder to taste

1 tsp oregano

Directions:

1.  Sort the beans, getting rid of any rock, or beans that are broken or badly disfigured.   Place the good ones in a large cooking pot.

2.  If you choose to rinse the beans, do so now, in COLD water, through a colander.

3.  Fill the cooking pot with COLD water. Cover with a lid and let the beans soak overnight.  The next day, strain the water, rinse the beans and put them back in the pot, filling it with water about 2 inches above the beans.

OR, if you want this dish for dinner tonight, you can use this faster method—Bring the beans to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let them soak for 2 hours.  The water will be very cloudy (or mauve-colored with red kidney beans).   Strain and rinse the beans, and put them back in the pot, covering them with about 2 inches of water.  **Getting rid of the old water removes a lot of the components that cause “gas” when you eat beans, by the way.   

4.  Bring the beans back up to a boil.  Then turn the heat down to medium, to simmer.  

5.  In a skillet over medium heat, stir and cook the onions and garlic, until onions are just soft, but not brown.  Add them to the pot of beans. 

6.  Add the butter, bay leaves, and salt/pepper to taste to the bean pot as well, stirring to mix the flavors.   If you want to add any extras, do so now. 

7.  Add the ham hocks to the bean pot.   Stir occasionally.   Taste every now and then, to see if you need to add anything.   Boil the beans and ham hocks for an additional 2 to 3 hours, or until the beans  are tender to your liking, and the meat is easily coming off the bone with a fork (or even falling off).    

8.  Remove from heat and serve in a bowl, over corn bread. 

Mom's Potato Soup

 

On cold weather days, Mom sometimes made a simple potato soup. It was such a nice comfort and really hit the spot. She liked good flavor in hers, so she used things like cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and bacon. Really makes it taste more like a full meal, not just a first course, and we certainly ate it that way. It was very satisfying. You can also use turkey bacon. Don't skimp on the cream, either. At the very least, use half-and-half (we only used milk when we had absolutely no other choice, which you can do, but it won't be as rich). The cream is what will really makes this soup a food of the gods! 

Mom's Potato Soup

Ingredients:

6 slices thin bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 tablespoons butter

1 whole medium onion, diced

1 small bulb garlic, cut in half horizontally (optional, you can peel and dice it too, its still great!)

6 whole russet potatoes, peeled and diced

8 to 10 cups chicken or vegetable stock

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley 

1 cup grated cheese (any kind you like)

Sour cream and/or green onion for garnish

   

Directions:

1.       Add bacon pieces to a soup pot over medium heat and cook bacon until crisp.  There should be plenty of bacon fat in the bottom of the pan to work with.  Remove the bacon from the pot and set it aside. 

2.      Keep the pot on medium heat and melt in the butter. Then add the onions (and garlic bulb halves, face down, if using). Again, you can also peel and dice the garlic if you prefer. Stir and cook until the onions begin to turn clear. Flip the garlic bulb halves at least once halfway through to cook evenly. remove garlic bulb halves from pot and transfer to a plate to cool. Add the diced potatoes to pot. Cook for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt and pepper. Carefully squeeze all the garlic cloves out of the garlic bulb halves and add them to the pot. Discard the bulb skins (skip these steps if you peeled and diced in the beginning). 

3.       Pour in the stock and bring it to a gentle boil. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the potatoes are starting to get tender. Whisk together the flour and the milk, then pour into the soup immediately and allow the soup to cook for another 5 minutes. Stir while you add the flour/milk mixture, and frequently while cooking, to prevent clumping.  

4.       L Use a hand masher or an immersion blender to mash up about half of the potatoes. Stir and taste for seasonings, adding more if needed. Stir in cream and parsley, reserving a little bit of parsley for garnish.

5.       Serve in bowls garnished with parsley, grated cheese, crisp bacon pieces, and/or chopped green onion.  Add a spoon full of sour cream, if you like. 

Dad's Chicken And Canned Biscuit Dumplings

Well, what can I say?  This is a timeless classic our family frequently ate, and I totally forgot to add it!  But we always did it our own simple way.  Sometimes we used fresh cut vegetables.  Sometimes we used any old canned veggies we had on hand.   Sometimes we didn't have stock or bouillon, and we compensated the flavor in other ways!  lol.  We were creative folks.   But this is how we preferred to do it.  TIP:  The leftovers can be simmered down thicker and made into an excellent chicken pot pie!

Dad's Chicken And Canned Biscuit Dumplings

Ingredients:

 

2 tablespoons cooking oil

1 large onion (red, yellow or white) coarsely chopped

1 fryer chicken cut up, skin removed (or the equivalent in chicken pieces)

1 tablespoon dried basil flakes

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

½ tsp poultry seasoning

1 tablespoon minced garlic

½ tsp ground rosemary

2 bay leaves

6 small cubes (or 3 large cubes) of chicken bouillon crumbled  and dissolved in 6 cups hot water (or use 6 cups chicken stock instead)

1 ½ to 2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons butter

3 sticks of celery, sliced (optional)

1 can whole kernel corn (with juice)

3 carrots, sliced ¼ inch thick (or canned slices)

1 can sweet peas OR green beans (with juice)

4 tablespoons corn starch or flour

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup cold water

1 can of canned biscuits (regular or grand size, any brand you have)

Directions:

1.        In a large, wide pot, heat the oil over medium heat.   Add the onions and fry until clear, stirring occasionally.   Add the chicken, basil, parsley, poultry seasoning, garlic, rosemary and bay leaves.  Blend well and let the chicken cook in the spices and onions for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2.       Add bullion / water mixture (or chicken stock). 

3.       Add milk, butter, celery, corn, carrots, peas and blend well.  Then salt and pepper to taste.   Bring to a boil for 5 minutes, then reduce to a simmer for about 45 minutes.  Add more water or chicken stock, if the liquid gets too low (it should always be at least 1 or 2 inches above vegetables).  Stir occasionally. 

4.       In a small bowl, mix together the corn starch (or flour) with the cold water.  Beat out any lumps.   Pour immediately into the soup mixture, while stirring, to prevent clumps.   Simmer about 5 minutes until soup begins to thicken.   Or add more cornstarch (flour) / water mixture, if its not as thick as you like.   If you add more, simmer an additional 5 minutes.   Stir occasionally.

5.       Open the can of biscuits.  Turn the soup pot up to medium-high.    Separate the biscuits and place them in the soup pot at the top.  Dunk each biscuit slightly to moisten the top with soup liquid.   Place a lid over the top of the pot and cook the biscuit/dumplings for about 10 to 15 minutes, until done.   They will puff up to double their size.   Try to separate them carefully.  Soup may also thicken a little more as the dumplings cook. 

6.       Remove soup pot from heat and let soup stand uncovered for 10 minutes.  Serve. 

Dad's Famous Chili

If there was one thing my Dad understood, it was that chili was an intricately fine art. One that took all day with good care and preparation. I have watched my Dad make this chili so many times, it is imprinted on my memory for life.

When our humble U.S. military family was stationed in Germany, Dad entered his chili into a local on-base chili contest, with 200 other entries. He got 2nd place, only because his competition used "Filet Mignon" instead of regular steak. But our whole family grew up eating this chili for years.

On cold winter days, Dad would just go all out and make a GIANT pot of it, usually doubling this recipe, so we could all munch on it for days and make "chili-mac" or tacos and burritos with the thickened leftovers. Dad never really used a written "recipe", but I have seen it made so many times. I knew the exact amount of every ingredient and I myself have made it many times, both under his supervision and by myself.

People used to say Dad's Chili had "healing properties".  Especially my Mom... Whenever she was feeling achy and under the weather, Dad would make his chili and she would eat a big bowl-- it would just soothe her. A big pot of chili is a timeless home comfort in our family.

It is important to know that depending where you are from, a chili recipe may or may not include beans. For example, in Texas, people generally do not put beans in their chili. But in the rest of the country, many people do. And being from Califirnia-- we certainly did.

Laced throughout this recipe, you will see a lot of time-honored tips and pointers that Dad (and many of the pros) used. They will help you to make sure your chili is the best it can be. Enjoy!

Dad’s Famous Chili

1 16-oz bag pinto beans, uncooked

Water (enough to cover the beans by about 3 inches)
Salt (enough to make the soaking water taste like ocean water, 1 to 2 tsp)

1 to 2 tablespoons cooking oil
2 lbs beef (“short rib” or “round” is best but any decent cut will do), cut into chunks the size of the tip of your thumb, from the first joint.

1 large onion, diced

1 bell pepper (any color) seeded and diced
1 large dried dark red pepper, ground into two tablespoons worth (you can use McCormick Chilli powder too, its not hot)
1 to 2 cups beef stock (homemade from boiled bones is best, but store bought is also fine).

4 to 6 large cloves garlic, crushed and finely chopped (or 1 1/2 tsp granulated garlic or garlic powder)

1 to 2 fresh green chilies, chopped (optional, more if you like it hotter)

1 tablespoon paprika

3 tsp ground cumin

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 large diced tomatoes (you can also use canned stewed tomatoes, drained and diced)

1 can (15oz.) stewed tomatoes, chopped (San Marzano is best, but any kind will work, save juices from the can)

1 heaping tsp sugar

2 tablespoons ketchup

Salt and pepper to taste

Step One:  The Beans.

QUESTION:  Do I really have to sort the beans?

ANSWER:  Yes! I have never purchased a bag of dried beans that DID NOT have small rocks in it.  At least one. Even if you are lucky enough to get no rocks, sorting is also to get rid of any beans that are discolored, or noticeably disfigured. Those usually taste bad and can ruin the look and flavor of your dish, should someone bite into one. My Dad had a super-easy method of sorting beans: He sat down at the table, with the empty cooking pot in his lap. He would dump the beans out on the table, spread them out and then gradually scoop them towards him in small batches, checking for discolored or disfigured beans and rocks. If he found any, he would make a little “throw away” pile off to the side. Then all the good beans, he would slide to the edge of the table and down into the pot. You can use canned beans and compensate the liquid. Canned beans do have their place. Especially when you need the chili to be done sooner. But frankly…  Dad tried not to use canned beans, if he could help it. He liked the ritual act of sorting, rinsing, soaking and cooking his own beans. Many passionate chili makers do.

Directions:

TIPS:  Throughout cooking, use the pot lid off and on, alternating between covered and uncovered every 30 minutes, to prevent chili from being too watery. Try to use a heavy duty pot or Dutch oven, if possible. It's best to make your own spice blends, instead of using store bought flavor packets. The flavor is far superior.

1.       Sort the beans, placing the good ones in a large cooking pot. 

2.       If you choose to rinse/clean the beans, do so now in COLD water, through a colander. Be very gentle.

3.       Fill the cooking pot to about 3 inches above the beans with COLD water. Gently stir in the salt-- this will help keep the skin on the beans smooth and stay intact during cooking. Cover with a lid and let the beans soak overnight. The next day, strain the water, rinse the beans and put them back in the pot, filling it with water about 2 inches above the beans.

OR, if you want this dish for dinner tonight, you can use this faster method—Bring the beans to a boil for 2 minutes.  Turn off the heat and let them soak for 2 hours.  The water will be very cloudy (or mauve-colored with red kidney beans). The beans may not be as soft this way, overnight soaking is much better. But this will work in a pinch.  

4.       Bring beans to a boil. After one hour of boiling, drain the bean water out by dumping beans into a strainer in the sink.

TIP: Getting rid of this first round of bean water will greatly reduce most the components that cause gas.

Fill the pot with water again, 3 inches above the beans and boil the beans for an additional 2 to 3 hours, or until they are tender to your liking. 

 While the beans are boiling, start to work on your “chili meat sauce”.

NOTE: If you are using canned beans, simply prepare your meat sauce in the same pot you want your chili in. Follow directions for cooking the sauce. When its done, add 4 cups of beef stock. Then add the canned beans. If you add canned beans too soon, they will turn to mush and fall apart. Feel free to dump in the liquid from the can, for extra flavor.

The Chili Meat Sauce:

1.       In a large skillet, heat the 3 tablespoons cooking oil over medium heat. Add meat to the pan (both steak bits and ground beef). Cook the meat until brown, stirring occasionally. 

  Add the diced onion, bell pepper and green chilies to the meat pan. Cook until onions are clear, stirring occasionally.  

2.       Add the dried ground red pepper (or chilli powder) and garlic (fresh or powdered). Cook a couple of minutes to release the flavors, stirring frequently to prevent burning. You can add a couple tablespoons of water if its too dry. Add 1 cup of beef stock and simmer 20 minutes, adding more of it dries up. Spices should be added in rounds. Darker robust spices like red pepper or chilli powder and onion first. Then the other seasonings.

 Add in paprika, ground cumin and Worcestershire sauce. Cook 1 to 2 minutes.
 

3.       Add the chopped stewed tomatoes (with juices from the can), fresh diced tomatoes, sugar, ketchup, then salt and pepper to taste. Blend well. Reduce heat to medium-low and allow this sauce to simmer, until the beans are tender. Stir occasionally and add small amounts of water or beef stock if it dries up (it should never get thicker than spaghetti sauce). As it cooks down, use a spoon to skim the fat off the top.

Putting It All Together:

1.     Once beans are tender, ladle out most of the bean water, and save it off to the side. Keep ladling so the water only covers the beans by 1/2 inch. You can add some back in later, if you want to adjust how thick or think your chili is. Carefully add the chili meat sauce to the pot of beans. You can do this by pouring the pan over the bean pot, or (if the pan is too heavy) gradually ladle the sauce into the bean pot. Stir gently, to blend well.

**Again, if you use canned beans, simply add them to a pot with your meat sauce now, with a few cups of beef stock.

2.    Allow chili to cook for at least an additional hour, stirring occasionally. Keep skimming the fat, if you see any. You may boil the water down to make it thicker, or add bean water/beef stock to thin it out, to your liking. You may also add anything else you like at this point (more salt? More green chilies?). If you want it thicker, its best to mash a small batch of beans and stir it around. Adding thickeners can ruin the dish.

TIPS: You can try tantalizing the elusive "fifth taste" by using a touch of soy sauce, fish sauce, or anchovies. Some people even add small amounts of unsweetened cocoa powder or instant coffee to the meat sauce preparation. Or a cup of red wine, for depth.

Remove chili pot from heat and let stand 5 minutes. Serve chili hot. In our home, Dad usually served it with corn bread, or Saltine crackers.