6 January, 2024
New Year’s Eve Ham and Beans
January 6th is NationalBeanDay!
A Cozy Culinary Tradition: New Year's Eve Ham and Beans
After 34 festive years of marriage, my husband and I have mastered our holiday menu playbook – turkey for Thanksgiving and ham for Christmas. But as the year winds down, our kitchen takes on a different rhythm with batches of comforting "leftovers soup" and the star of our New Year's Eve celebration – Ham and Beans.
Though my husband may not indulge in these hearty beans, their charm lies in their ability to freeze beautifully, waiting patiently to be enjoyed after a day of snowy adventures with my ski buds. It's become a cherished tradition, a delicious reminder of shared moments in the winter wonderland.
Perfecting the recipe took years of experimentation and tweaking. One crucial lesson learned – never skip soaking the beans. This simple yet essential step not only reduces cooking time but also enhances texture. Soaking removes complex sugars, aids in rehydration, and ensures a smoother culinary journey.
Elevating my beans to a new level involved a magical touch – making bone broth from the ham overnight. This extra layer of flavor adds depth and richness. Forgot this step? No worries – a morning bone broth session in your pressure cooker will do the trick.
Here's the foundation for the New Year's Eve Ham and Beans:
Ingredients:
- Dried beans (soaked overnight)
- Ham bone broth
- Customize with fridge finds on the second day
- Diced ham added at the end for enhanced texture
I've chosen to skip the jalapeño in my recipe to keep the spice level just right for my taste buds. Feel free to customize based on your heat preference.
As the New Year approaches, our kitchen becomes a haven for creating cherished memories. The aroma of simmering beans, enriched by the legacy of holiday ham, fills the air. This New Year's Eve Ham and Beans recipe is more than a dish – it's a celebration of family, tradition, and the joy of savoring simple pleasures in each comforting spoonful. Cheers to another year of culinary adventures!
New Years Eve Ham & Beans
Equipment
- Slow Cooker - 4-qt Rockcrok slow cooker set
- Sharp Knife - 5" Santoku Knife
- Cutting Board - Large Grooved Cutting Board
- Slicer - Quick Slice
- Tongs - Large Chef's Tongs
- Zester - Adjustable Zester
Ingredients
Meat
- Leftover Christmas Ham
Dried Goods
- 16 OZ Bag Dry Beans Pinto or Black-Eyed Peas Work Well
Canned Goods
- 1 Can Diced Tomatoes any variety
Baking & Spices
- 4 Bay Leaf
- Pepper
- salt
- 1 or 2 TBSP Pampered Chef Smoky Mezcal Rub
Produce
- 2 Med Onions yellow or white
- 1 Bunch Carrots
- 1 Bunch Celery Stocks
- 1 Bunch Parsley
- 4 Cloves Garlic
- 2 Pablano Peppers
- 6 Santa fe Grande Peppers
- 1 Jalapeño Pepper Optional
- 6 Mini Sweet Peppers Optional
- 1 wedged Lime
- 1 whole Lime Zest and Juice
Liquids
- Water
Beer, Wine, & Liquor
- ¼ cup White Wine
- ¼ cup Tequilla
Options Garnish
- Mexican Crema
- Sour Cream
- Jalapeño Pepper Chopped
- Green Onion Chopped
- Cilantro Chopped
- Olives Chopped
Instructions
Night Before - Prepare Ham
- Trim off fat in large chunks. Set aside.
- Trim off skin in large chunks. Set Aside.
- Trim the bone from your ham, not too close. You want some meat and fat left on it.
- Dice remaining ham in approximately ½“ pieces. Set Aside.
Night Before - Soak Beans
- Soak beans according to package instructions. For a 4 quart slow cooker I used about ¾ of the bag.
Night Before - Ham Bone Broth
- Place ham bone and one of the large pieces of skin in slow cooker. If there is no fat on bone add some of the fat that was set aside.
- Chop 1 onion, 4 carrots, and 4 celery stalks into very large pieces. Place in slow cooker.
- Add 2 bay leaves and garlic cloves to slow cooker. Add enough water to cover everything but leave a few inches of room at top of slow cooker.
- Add ½ tsp of pepper. Salt to taste adjusting for saltiness of ham.
- Add wine and a wedge of lime, skin and all.
- Nestle 2 whole Santa Fe Grande peppers and a small bunch of parsley around ham, cover, and cook on low all night. 8-12 hours.
Next Day
- Without turning off the slow cooker, spider scoop all the vegetables, fat, ham and bone out and discard. This may be strained through a sieve but I prefer to leave it a little rustic.
- Drain and rinse the beans and add them to the slow cooker.
- Add 1/2 chopped onion, 1 stocks chopped celery, 1 chopped carrot, 2 bay leafs, and tequila,
- Add the can of tomatoes,
- Add the juice of lime, plus about ¼ of the lime zest.
- Char the pablano peppers, sweat in bag or covered glass bowl, remove skin and seeds, chop into small pieces, and add to the beans.
- Remove stems and seeds from the remaining peppers. Chop the them into round slices and add to the bean mixture.
- Taste the broth for seasoning.
- Add the PC rub to taste, about 1 or 2 TBSP.
- Taste again and add salt and/or pepper if needed.
- Cover and cook on high for 7 hours. Do not open the lid during the cooking time.
- Check to see if beans are done. Add diced ham and slow cook on high 1 more hour.
- Serve garnished to taste.
Notes
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Mom, wife, computer geek, web designer, musician, board member, ski bum, bicyclist, camper, glamper, fishing woman, treasure hunter, bookkeeper, office wizard, blogger, vlogger, foodie, and Pampered Chef Independent Consultant, trekking through life in Jackson Hole, Wyoming
One thought on : 1
The best part of ham is the pot of beans from the leftovers!