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Smoky Pinto Beans with Ham
Melissa Hart

Smoky Pinto Beans with Ham

A pot of beans should have creamy broth, not tinted water. Starting with dried pintos takes longer, but the ham hock and onion have time to become one thing with them. Salt after the beans begin to soften and they'll stay intact instead of blowing apart.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 2 hours 45 minutes
Servings: 8
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb dried pinto beans sorted and rinsed
  • 8 cups water plus more as needed
  • 1 smoked ham hock about 1 lb
  • 1 medium yellow onion halved
  • 2 garlic cloves smashed
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar

Method
 

  1. Cover the beans with 3 inches of water in a large bowl and soak for 8 hours, then drain and rinse them.
  2. Combine the soaked beans, 8 cups fresh water, ham hock, onion, garlic, bay leaf and paprika in a Dutch oven.
  3. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer partially covered until the beans begin to soften, about 75 minutes.
  4. Stir in the salt and pepper and continue simmering until the beans are creamy inside and the broth has body, 45 to 75 minutes, adding hot water if the beans rise above the liquid.
  5. Remove the ham hock, onion and bay leaf; pull the usable ham into small pieces and return it to the pot.
  6. Mash 1/2 cup beans against the side of the pot, stir them back in and simmer for 5 minutes.
  7. Finish with the vinegar and adjust the salt before serving.