Soup Beans

MeMaw, Dad's mother, was the sweetest person.  Regardless of the time of the year, from just past breakfast until dinnertime, MeMaw had a pan of cornbread and a kettle of beans on the stove ready to feed any hungry person who landed on her doorstep.  In the summer, she had string beans, and in cold months, she would have some kind of dried beans - both were seasoned with some kind of smokey meat.   The beans would simmer on a back-burner all day and MeMaw would add water from time to time.  I do not remember a single time where MeMaw spoke in an angry tone or was mean toward another. I do recall a few (very few) times where she said, "Well, bless her heart."  That was as rough as she got. 

There was always plenty of room at MeMaw's house or table for an extra person.

Grandma Dora, MeMaw, and Granny were women who knew how to make a lot with very little.  Mom said that Granny made soup beans too, but she did not make them often after she went to work at Montgomery Wards.  Mom often made them in the cold weather months.  They are filling, tasty, last a few days, and can warm you up!  So I decided to make them today since it has been cold and rainy this weekend.

Now you will see different kinds of beans and seasonings used along with various kinds of meats in recipes.  However, they are all made essentially the same method: Soften the dried beans, add meat/seasonings, and cook.  Today, I made basic pinto beans because it was what I had on hand (most likely because it is what Mom most often used.)  Dad tells me to simply start with canned beans, but I don't think they turn out as good.  It may be psychosomatic, but I swear that I can taste the can.

1 pound of dried Pinto Beans

Dried beans need to be sorted.  Sometimes, there are small pebbles and other debris hiding in the beans.  I usually sprinkle a few in my hand, drop them into the colander before adding them to the pot.  In this bag, I found two pebbles and a small twig.

Rub the beans briskly between your hands after pouring water in the pan.

Once all beans are added to the pot, cover them with water and pick up handfuls to rub between your hands multiple times.  The water will become dirty.  In likelihood, it is probably ground dirt from where they were grown.  Drain the water, refill and repeat.

Swish and swirl with your hands.

It will likely take about three rinses.  Bulk beans will sometimes take four.  Don't be put off by the cleaning.  They are beans.  They grow in dirt.  :)

Water so clear that it will reflect the lights.

Once the water is clear, add water until it is about two to three inches above the bean line.  Set the pot on the burner and heat the water until it boils.  Then remove the pot from the heat and cover it for about an hour or two.  (This will depend on the size of the bean.  For pintos, an hour is generally long enough.)

Remove beans that float or debris that may float to the top.

 Give the beans a stir about half-way through the soak.  Bad beans will often surface along with any missed debris.  Remove those to discard.

Beans re-hydrated.

After the beans have re-hydrated, the water will be murky and the beans will be swollen and more pale in nature.  Drain the beans and rinse them once again.  Then return the beans to the pot and add enough water to cover by two inches again. 

Beans, water, and black pepper.

This is where you will add your seasonings.  I never add salt until the end, but added black pepper here.

Salt Pork

 Really, you can select most any smokey meat to season your soup beans.  (I'm certain that there are vegetarian options for this as well, but our family never went in that direction.)  I personally love salt pork for soup beans.  When I cannot find salt pork, I generally get a meaty, smoked ham hock and have the butcher slice it into 1/2 inch slices.  For a pound of beans, I suggest at least eight ounces of smoked meat.  Twelve might be better, depending on the meat.  I score the salt pork so that it can release flavor faster.

Salt pork, water, pepper, and beans.

Place the meat to ensure it is completely covered with water.  Bring the water to a boil and then simmer covered for at least two to three hours for pinto beans.  The cook time depends on the texture that you want your beans along with the kind of beans you use.  (Split peas, for example, will need a much shorter cook time.)  The longer the beans cook, the softer they will be. 

Cooked salt pork.

If a meat bone is used, keep it in the water longer.  However, if ham or salt pork are used, the meat will have given over its flavor after a few hours.  I fished the salt pork out and let it cool before removing the meat from it since I wanted the meat to be added back into my soup beans.  At this point, I tasted the liquid in the beans and adjusted salt.  Depending on the meat used, a lot of salt or no salt may be needed.  Never add more than a few teaspoons of salt at a time.  Then stir and wait a bit before re-tasting.

Soup Beans and Cornbread

 At this point, cook more if a thicker, less watery soup bean is desired.  I wanted a soupy end result, so I considered mine done.  If the water cooks down, more can be added.  All mine needed was cornbread, some pickled beets, and a green onion on the side.  Mmmm.