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I believe I mentioned before my Dad’s from a farm in Kentucky where, to get to the outhouse, you must first run a race for your life against the hounds that live under the porch. Coming from the hollers as he did, it was no wonder that the dinner he requested on his birthday was always the same…fried taters, a pot of greens, cornbread (made in a cast iron skillet…else it wasn’t cornbread), and a big batch of soup beans.
Soup beans are not to be confused with bean soup. Bean soup has veggies in it, is often made with a recipe and can be made with any variety of beans. Soup beans are down-home, are recipe-less and always, always made with pinto beans.
Looking back at the way Dad taught me to cook everything growing up, I’m surprised I’m still alive seeing as how I’m probably 98.9% bacon grease (the other 1.1% lard). Dad kept a coffee can full of old bacon grease on the kitchen counter and it was used to flavor everything….potatoes, poke greens, eggs, cornbread, gravy, pretty much everything that crossed our stovetop. I’m surprised we didn’t just skip the food and eat the grease with a spoon.
So soup beans were always made with a honkin’ spoonful of bacon grease, a big ol’ ham bone, beans and water. Then we boiled ‘em til they were done. But knowing I want to live to see my grandkids drive my kids crazy, I’ve dropped the bacon grease (forgive me, Daddy.)
Here’s my revamped Soup Bean recipe:
The night before, wash 1 bag of pinto beans and check for pebbles or grit. (I put mine in a colander, run water over and drain the water into a bowl a few times. When the bowl water is clear, the beans are ready.) Put the beans in a big bowl and cover with about 2x the water. The next morning, dump it into a slow cooker and toss in a can of chicken broth (Dad would choke if he knew I added chicken broth). Toss in a meaty ham bone, a few dashes of hot sauce, salt, pepper and onion. Cook on low for about 6-8 hours. Serve with cornbread (you will be arrested if you do not.)
Nutritious, flavorful, cheap and easy. And you don’t have to dodge any hounds.
Please remember to Digg or StumbleUpon if you enjoy FHC! Thanks so much!
Francie
Related posts:
Kentucky Biscuits are Worth Being Chased by Hounds
Also see:
Soup Beans @ Miranda’s Place
April 29th, 2008 at 11:57 am
My grandfather was from Arkansas so we were raised on black eyed peas with hamhocks, cornbread (made in a cast iron skillet) and collard greens.
My favorite treat from my childhood is hot cornbread in a bath of cold milk.
April 29th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
It sounds perfect for a day like this. Did I mention it snowed this morning? I was a very happy cook
April 29th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
Judy,
My dad’s favorite snack was cornbread soaked in a tall glass of buttermilk.
April 29th, 2008 at 3:10 pm
I know! What IS it with Ohio?
April 30th, 2008 at 3:36 am
It’s done nothing but rain here for 3 days - this recipe looks so tempting for a grey day!
April 30th, 2008 at 5:24 am
I must say, this is a great dish for bad weather days.
April 30th, 2008 at 6:16 pm
Francie-
My parents are not from the south, but my mother kept the very same bacon grease next to the stove. It was kept in a very quaint ALUMINUM container with a lid that had GREASE printed on it. Bacon grease, aluminum, I’m a dead woman….
May 1st, 2008 at 4:14 am
Oooh, you were high-falutin’, weren’t ya? We kept ours in a Maxwell house coffee can.