White beans, slow cooked with smoked meat and simply seasoned.
Classic White Beans
Mondays in the Deep South are all about the red beans, but did you know as an excuse to eat more beans on the regular, somebody at some point thought up White Bean Wednesdays?
Yep. They sure did!
White beans are right next to red beans to me so I'm not mad about it either.
Generally cooked with some kind of smoked meat, whether bacon, smoked pork hocks, andouille sausage or even better... a ham bone left over from that Sunday baked ham that you stuck up in the freezer.
Well, that's how it is for me!
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No ham bone?
Well, if you're lucky to have one of those ham stores near you, you can also buy a bone from there, sold by the pound and usually quite meaty.
I love expanding the seasonings to something akin to the way that I make my red beans with a full out trinity (onion, bell pepper and celery) and usually a combination of several smoked meats, but in their classic form, white beans are very simple - white beans, a piece of smoked meat, a little onion and a few simple seasonings.
Classic.
Here's what you'll need to make my Classic White Beans:
- 1 pound package dried white beans (Great Northern or Navy)
- 1/2 pound smoked meat (ham bone, pork hocks, turkey)
- 3 quarts water, or enough to cover
- 2 cups chopped onion
- 1 tablespoon chicken base or bouillon
- 2 teaspoons seasoned salt (like Lawry's)
- 1 teaspoon each onion powder and garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
Rinse and sort through the beans, soak overnight or add to a stockpot and cover with water plus about 1 inch. Bring to a boil; boil for 3 minutes uncovered, turn off heat, cover and let soak for one hour. Drain, rinse and set aside.
Add smoked meat to the pot, add water, bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes, turning a couple times.
Add onions.
Gather the seasonings.
A
Reduce to a simmer, stir in all the seasonings, and continue cooking for 45 minutes, shuffling the ham bone around occasionally until it begins to fall apart.
Add beans and bring back up to a hard, rolling boil.
Continue a hard boil for 20 minutes.
Reduce to a low simmer, cover pot and simmer for 1-1/2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding a little water only if needed.
Pull any meat from the bone and return to the pot, discarding the bone. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt only if needed.
For a more creamy texture, scoop out a ladle of beans and mash, returning to the pot. Repeat as needed to reach desired consistency.
For more of my favorite bean recipes, check out this collection on my Pinterest page!
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