Southern Lima Beans With Ham Food

SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS WITH HAM

Steps:

• Rinse and sort the beans. Set aside.
• In a large Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and celery; cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 5-8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute, stirring constantly.
• Add the rinsed beans, ham hock, bay leaf, water, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil; reduce heat slightly just so that it's at a low boil, and cook for 20 minutes. Reduce heat again just so that the liquid is simmering. Cover and cook for about 1 ½ hours, or until beans are tender. Check the beans after 1 hour, because they may be soft enough at that point if you like your beans a bit more firm. If you prefer the beans really soft and broken down, you may prefer to extend the cooking time to 2 hours. While the beans are cooking, check to occasionally make sure that the beans are covered with water (adding more water, if necessary). Discard bay leaf, remove ham hock from the pot, and shred or chop the meat. Return chopped meat to the pot with the beans. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary. Garnish individual servings with hot sauce and herbs; serve with cornbread.

LIMA BEANS AND HAM SOUP

Steps:

• Rinse and sort beans before adding to a pot of water and bringing to boil for 3 minutes.
• Set aside to soak for 1 hour.
• While beans are soaking, melt butter in large soup pot.
• Saute onions, carrots, and celery for 3-5 minutes.
• Add 8 cups water, bay leaf, salt and dash of pepper.
• Add halved potatoes.
• Drain lima beans and add to pot.
• Bring to a boil and then cover and reduce heat to medium low.
• Simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until beans are tender.
• Add cubed ham during last half hour.
• Mash the potato halves to thicken the stock.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

SLOW COOKER SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS AND HAM

Steps:

• Soak lima beans in 2 quarts of water in a large bowl for 8 hours or overnight. The next day, drain the lima beans and place into a slow cooker with onions, ham bone, and ham. Pour in 3 cups of water or as needed to cover. Place lid on the cooker, set to High, and cook for 3 hours.
• Stir in Cajun seasoning, black pepper, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper; set cooker to Low and cook until the beans and meat are very tender, about 4 more hours.

SOUTHERN PLANTATION LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• Sift through the beans for “Foreign Bodies” and rinse.
• In a stock pot, cover the beans with 2 inches of water and soak for 4-5 hours.
• Chop the baked ham rind to about 1/4 inch squares.
• If you use bacon, cook it off about three quarters of the way to render out some of the fat and drain well before chopping.
• (Reserve the fat for the roux later, at your option!) Drain the soaking water, add the meat to the beans and cover with water by about 2 inches.
• Bring the beans to a slow boil, add the Liquid Smoke, salt and pepper, cover and reduce the heat to a low simmer until tender.
• (From 45 minutes to 2 hours, depending on the beans and the heat so check them often.) When the beans are nearly tender, in a small sauce pan, mix the flour and oil (you can use the leftover bacon fat) and heat, mixing until bubbling.
• Because of the variable of how much water is left in the beans, I’ve found it’s better to thicken the sauce backwards.
• Start spooning bean water into the roux to thicken it to a paste (like thin mashed potatoes) then adding the paste back into the beans a tablespoon at a time, and stirring to the desired thickness.
• Keep in mind it won’t fully thicken until it comes to a boil and it may take a few tries to get it how you want it.
• Serve in a large bowl topped with the chopped Pecans.
• Any leftovers will freeze.

SOUTHERN LIMA BEANS WITH RICE

Steps:

• I know the bag says to soak the beans overnight, but you really don't have to.
• Wash the beans, and then put them in a large pot. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 5 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover and let it sit for 1 hour.
• After the beans have sat, drain the water and sit the beans to the side.
• Add the oil to the pot and sauté the ham hocks and onions together, until onion is clear and tender, add garlic and sauté about 2 minutes more. Add the beans and cover with water.
• Add pepper and salt--only about 1 teaspoon of salt at first.
• Bring to a boil; stir, reduce heat and cover and simmer for about 2 hours.
• Keep checking the water level and stirring every once in a while. Add more water if needed, but not too much.
• Just enough to keep about 1 inch of water above the beans as they cook.
• Cook until beans are tender, adding more salt if needed. The water will turn into a wonderful gravy. Serve over rice.

HAM HOCKS AND LIMA BEANS

Steps:

• Put the lima beans in a kettle with the water. Bring to a full boil and boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and allow them to stand, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. Then add the ham hocks, onions, and celery. Season with brown sugar, mustard, and salt. Cover and simmer for 2 hours. Remove meat from bones, keeping it in large pieces. Skim excess fat from top of sauce. Return meat to kettle.