Pork hocks, smoked or not can be used to make wonderful Pork & Beans. Better than any can you've ever run across.
Ingredients
- one large or two smaller porked hocks
- one 1 pound bag of navy or other, dried white beans
- 1/4 cup or more white vinegar
- 1/4 cup or more molasses
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
- 1 glorp or Worcestershire Sauce
- salt to taste
Equipment
- two large pots with lid ( 2-3 quarts or litres)
Directions
- The Night Before:
- Rinse beans and put in a pot full of water to soak over night
- In The Morning:
- Sir beans and take out floaters
- Put beans on stove to boil
- Put hocks in the other pot, cover with water and set on stove to boil
- Boil both for about an hour, prod with spoon now and then, add water if any beans or hock becomes uncovered.
- Check beans every ten minutes or so by eating one (after it cools) to see if it is as tender as you want your beans to be? Tender enough? Add vinegar, molasses, mustard powder and Worcestershire Sauce and a teaspoon of salt. Continue simmering beans to reduce water.
- Boil the hocks until they fall apart when lightly prodded. Let cool then remove meat from the pot and add to the beans. You can do this by straining the hocks using a wire screen strainer. Reserve the liquid, add it to the beans as soon as there is room in the simmering bean pot.
- Important: taste your beans. Not tart enough? Add vinegar a bit at a time and taste again. Not sweet enough? Add molasses a bit at a time and taste again. Not enough salt? You get the picture :) The best Pork & Beans in the world is a personal taste. Have confidence.
- Later In The Day
- Continue simmering and stirring beans until they thicken up. Remove from heat.