Pinto Beans With Sausage & Smoked Hamhocks

smoked hamhocks

🥗Healthier: turkey hamhocks

💰Cheaper: pork neck bones

Turkey hamhocks reduce fat while maintaining flavor.

sausage

🥗Healthier: chicken sausage

💰Cheaper: ground beef

Chicken sausage is lower in calories and fat.

Soak 2 pounds of pinto beans overnight until they swell and soften.

Rinse the soaked pinto beans and place them in a slow cooker lined with a crock pot liner.

Add 1 medium chopped sweet vidalia onion to the beans and mix well.

Add 1 bone-in ham hock and 1 piece of salt pork for flavor.

Add 1 boneless ham hock to the slow cooker.

Pour in 32 ounces of chicken stock, undiluted.

Top off with water until all the meat is completely covered.

Cook on low for a total of 7 hours, checking after 6.5 hours for doneness.

After cooking, add salt and black pepper to taste, but only after the beans are halfway cooked to avoid toughening them.

Thicken the stock with a cornstarch slurry if desired.

Cooking Techniques

Equipment Needed

Spice Level: