If you want to satisfy your hunger, nothing beats ham hocks and beans. The smoky ham hocks and tender, creamy beans make classic soul food. Let everything slowly simmer together, and voila! – the perfect dinner is ready!.
I’m so happy to share my family’s ham hock and beans recipe. And as someone who loves a level-up, adding beefiness with both beef stock and bouillon was a no-brainer. The strong savory taste fits into the smoky-creamy ham hocks and beans.
Let’s face it, beans aren’t just satisfying; they’re also nutritious and cheap. So why not make something good even better? Ham hocks add more flavor to a simple but fancy meal that tastes great.
Ham hocks and beans is a hearty, soul-warming dish that’s well worth the wait. When it comes to cook time, patience pays off in a big way. Slow-cooking the beans with smoky ham hocks allows all the ingredients to meld into a rich, mouthwatering flavor.
Follow my guide below to learn exactly how long you should cook ham hocks and beans to draw out their fullest flavor and texture potential.
Soak the Beans
Before cooking any dried bean, it’s important to soak them first This softens the beans, allowing them to cook more evenly and quickly absorb flavors
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Soak beans 8-12 hours or overnight in plenty of water.
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Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and pick over to remove any debris.
Soaking is an essential first step to ensure tender, creamy beans in a reasonable cook time. Skipping this step means your beans will likely remain tough and unevenly cooked.
Simmer the Ham Hocks
Once your beans are soaked, it’s time to start simmering the ham hocks and beans together. This long gentle cooking extracts maximum flavor.
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Add soaked beans, ham hocks, aromatics, and enough water to cover by a few inches.
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Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer.
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Simmer 2-3 hours, adding more water if needed.
The ham hocks infuse the beans with a deliciously smoky, salty flavor. Simmering for a few hours ensures the beans absorb these flavors fully.
Cook Until Beans are Tender
After 2-3 hours, taste a few beans. They should be starting to soften, but likely won’t be completely tender yet.
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Continue simmering until beans reach your desired tenderness, checking every 30 minutes. This can take 2-4 more hours.
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Add more water if the liquid reduces too much. You want the beans immersed in liquid.
The total cooking time depends on the bean variety, their age, and your texture preferences. Just keep simmering until the beans are as soft as you like them.
Finish with Tender Ham
About 30 minutes before the beans finish cooking, carefully remove the ham hocks.
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Pull off any meat from the hocks and shred or chop it.
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Return the meat to the beans. Discard skin, fat, and bones.
Putting the tender ham back into the beans allows it to soak up all the rich flavors without overcooking.
Final Cook Time
The total cook time for ham hocks and beans can range quite a bit:
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Minimum: 4 hours after soaking
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Average: 6-8 hours after soaking
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Maximum: 10-12 hours after soaking for very mature, tough beans
The beans should reach your ideal tender-creamy texture while the broth thickens to a rich gravy.
Variations to Know
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Using a pressure cooker significantly decreases cook time to 1-2 hours total.
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Canned beans only need to simmer until heated through and absorb flavors, about 30-60 minutes.
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A slow cooker needs 6-10 hours on low depending on bean freshness.
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Adding potatoes, carrots, or other veggies during the last 1-2 hours of cooking boosts nutrition.
Serving Suggestions
Smoky, tender ham hocks and beans pair wonderfully with:
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Skillet cornbread or cornbread muffins
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Coleslaw or collard greens
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Buttery mashed potatoes
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Jalapeño corn bread
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Fresh biscuits or rolls
Why Use Ham Hocks With Beans?
First of all, ham hocks are cheaper than ham, and the bone is full of good smokey flavor. Hocks, also called pork knuckles, are the very end of the shank bones in a pig’s leg. They are smoked to make a great ham flavor. Even better, you can reuse the bone for an amazing stock for future bean recipes.
- Beans: I used pinto beans, but you can use any kind you have on hand. White beans also are really good with ham.
- Ham Hock: Smoked pork goodness for a lot less money Yay! You could also use bacon ends and pieces.
- Seasonings and Veggies: Cayenne and Creole seasoning make the beans hot, and onion, garlic, celery, thyme, and carrots add delicious flavors. You can leave out the cayenne if you’d rather have beans that aren’t as spicy.
- Beef Bouillon: The stew base is rich and savory, and it has real beef essence added to make it stronger.
What to Serve With Ham Hocks and Beans
If you make homemade buttermilk biscuits or Southern cornbread and serve them with ham hocks and beans, you have a complete Southern soul food meal. Lemon pound cake makes a grand finale worthy of your most beloved guests.
World’s Easiest Way To Make Pinto Beans and Smoked Ham Hocks | Mattie’s Kitchen
FAQ
How many hours do you boil ham hocks?
Can ham hocks be overcooked?
Do you leave skin on ham hock when making soup?
How do you cook ham hock & red beans?
Cover pot with lid and turn up the heat to medium-high. Once water begins to boil turn heat down to low, add remaining ingredients consisting of onions, garlic, green pepper pod, and bay leaf then allow to ham hock and red beans to simmer.
How do you cook ham hocks?
1 – 1 1/2 pounds ham hocks Fully cooked and typically smoked. See notes for substitutions. Fill a Dutch oven or soup pot with water (enough to cover the pinto beans) and place it on the stove to boil. Once the water has boiled, remove it from the heat and add the pinto beans. Allow the beans to soak for 1 hour and then drain.
How long do you cook ham hocks in a crock pot?
Place the lid on the pot and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 1 1/2-3 hours until the beans are soft. You can test if they are done by grabbing one bean out of the pot and mashing it with a spoon or fork. Mine usually take 2 hours to reach my desired texture. Open up the pot and remove the bay leaf and ham hock.
How do you cook ham hocks & pinto beans?
Deliciously smoky ham hocks and tender-creamy beans make classic soul food. Let everything slowly simmer together, and voila! – the perfect dinner is ready! Pour the dried pinto beans into a large bowl and add enough water to cover them with three inches. Soak overnight (or up to 24 hours) to soften them. Drain and rinse beans when ready to use.