No I'm not going to cook him.
I had a PM from him when I got home, he's all healed up from his accident this summer and he's shooting again. Well he's got this lady that he shoots with that I think he kind of likes,
and he wants some easy to fix recipes to make for her cause he knows that it ain't just men you can reach trough their stomach. Many of the simple ones I do, i really don't have recipeds for but just make. He's looking for stew and such cause I think he's thinkin' crockpot, the modern Dutch Oven.
Well he's in luck today cause I begged the ham bone from my mother on Christmas and was awake early this mornin'. Taught my 4 month ould grandaughter who was also awake how to sort and soak beans.
So it's ham and beans today.
1 pound dry beans. (type often varies with the region and what grandma used)
Sort out the rocks, dirt clods and deformed beans. Rinse and allow to soak in water for a few hours, rinse again ahd cover with water. Add the ham bone and bring to a boil, simmer for several hours and add water as needed. The amount of water depends on if you want ham and beans or beans soup. The soup needs crackers to fit on a fork.
Add salt and pepper as desired, Often no salt is needed if the ham has enough in it.
Often folks add chopped celary or carrots to it. I do if I have them on hand, but not today, was to lazy to go to the store this morning.
For a crockpot put on high for a couple of hours and then turn on low, I used my large cast iron pot, but either way the are ready when the beans get very soft an the meat fall off the bone and can be stirred in. They've been on since 10 am this morning and my wife just ate a bowl and said they were good. Me I'm going to let them go a couple more hours and mosey to the store for some hunny. I think some cornbread is needed. Recipe later.
If a ham bone is not handy one can use ham steak or ham hocks, one can even use bacon instead, remember the song "It's bacon and beans most every day, I'd a soon be eatin' ol' prairie hay!"
Some smoked hog jowls will also work, but I like mine done up with black-eyed-peas. (Not the music group) But it all works the same and is good cheap food, leftovers can last for daysand even taste better the next day. Or by using canning salt one can can them and have leftovers for a couple of years. (see Salt, Iodized and not thread.)