Southern Ham and Brown Beans

I give this 4 out of 5 because it is a good recipe true to form, but there are some techniques that could help make sure the beans turn out the way you want them to - that is, nice and creamy beans in a relatively thick cooking liquid. So here's the trick: brine your beans overnight in plenty of water and 2-3 tablespoons of salt. You may worry they'll be salty. They will be. But you'll dump a lot of that salty water off. Because you've done this, don't add any salt to the recipe until the end to suit your tastes. Since you've now brined them, add them to the pot with water to cover, add your other ingredients (I soften my onion and garlic in a little oil over medium heat first), and bring to a boil. Reduce to a VIGOROUS simmer for 45-60 minutes. Stir occasionally. That simmer will give you the thick cooking liquid. After that, you can add more seasonings or ham if you like, and continue to simmer until your beans are all nice and soft - maybe up to 30 minutes or so. Another note, I love to use up a left over ham bone if there's one lying around, and add a bay leaf or 2 to the mix. If you have bean issues (your beans are always crumbly and not creamy), then definitely give these tips a whirl and see if it doesn't help!

I'm the original submitter for this recipe and I'd just like to give a quick side note... The liquid should be 4 cups water, 4 cups chicken or veggie broth, the salt should not be added til towards the end of cooking. Why Allrecipes editors changed this, is beyond me!

scrumptious recipe Sarah! I soaked my beans (pinto) overnight. I read somewhere that you should add the salt at the last hour of simmering because salt can make beans tough. I did that, and cooked the recipe for 6.5 hrs. my family loved them.

I made it with great northerns and it was delish.

Thinking what to do with the ham bone from our Easter dinner and decided to make the family's favorite stand by; Ham and Beans!!! Wonderful, easy, versatile recipe! Only two things I did differently was to soak the beans the night before (which cuts down on the cooking time) and then cooked them in chicken broth vs water. BEAN 101: DO NOT add salt until the beans are cooked; adding salt during the soaking process or while cooking make the beans hard. Wait to the end and season to taste. Excellent recipe!

I've finally found it! I have been looking for this recipe for months. This has to be the best ham and bean recipe ever. I followed it as writen and cooked it for 6 hours and ate the whole pot myself. Thank You for sharing.

Thanks for this recipe. I am a native Texan and with only slight adjustments can now make beans like they should be. I like the six hour cooking best too.

I've been making brown/soup beans as my mother and grandmother always have, not adding any spices, just what they refer to as "fatback." I used the "fatback" for this recipe as well, but used the listed spices, and I LOVED it! I will never fix beans the same way again! We always serve it with cornbread, fried potatoes, and pickle lily or homemade sourkraut.

My hubby raved about this one, he's a big "southern cookin'" fan. :) One thing to note, MAKE SURE you don't keep the pot covered when it is simmering for the 3 hours. I checked on mine about halfway though, and all the liquid had dried up, and the beans were scorching on the bottom of the pot. Thankfully I caught it in time, before anything was burnt too badly, added water, more chili powder and salt and pepper to the mix, and it came out fine in the end. I didn't even notice any extra "smoke" in the taste. ;)

I've been looking for a good ol' fashion pinto bean recipe and this one can't be beat. I had to work, so I had my son add the ingredients to a slow cooker (2 hrs on high, then simmer on low for about 4 or 5 hours). This cut down on the worry about managing a simmering stock pot all day, as he is sometimes not the most attentive cook when there are all those video games to play. I also decided to use 2 ham hocks -- how can you deny all of that "hammy" goodness. The end result was absolutely wonderful! My son was so inflated with pride, he was strutting around the kitchen like the Iron Chef, planning his next cooking adventure -- I just hope it involves a slow cooker too.

Just finished having this for dinner and zomg....these southern beans are what I remember from childhood. Modifications: 1) Soaked the beans in water overnight, for about 10 hours; 2) Replaced 2 c of the water with 2 cans chicken broth; 3) added 4 cloves garlic instead of 2. ADDITIONS: 1) One half large carrot, diced (instead of adding sugar, a small amount is imparted via the carrots); 2) one half rib celery, diced. All placed in crock pot on low for 6 hours, left to cool in pot for 1 hour; season to taste with additional chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper. Serve with diced onions.

This was so good!! Even my teenage son loved it (I know he really liked it when he finished the leftovers the next day.) I made a couple of changes based on some ot the reviews. I added twice as much chili powder to it and I also put in about 1/2t of red pepper flakes. This added a little kick but did not make it too spicy. I also put in 2t of onion powder to kick up the onion flavor a bit. With that many beans the spices can quickly get "sucked up". I followed the suggestion of cooking it for 6 hours on the stove with a cover. I am glad I did. After about 5 hours. I took out the ham hocks and threw them away (I don't like the fatty meat on them). I then added about 1 1/2 cups of leaner chopped ham. This was great and I will make it again.

These were the best pinto beans we've ever had. I only made a few minor changes. First, because of the problems with gas that beans can cause, I added the beans only to the water, brought to boil and let sit for 1 hr, then drained them. I didn't have any ham hocks, but did have some ham in the freezer and used about 1 lb of that. I sauteed the ham, onion, and garlic slightly before adding the beans AND, instead of all water, used 1/2 water and 1/2 low sodium chicken stock. My husband loved them. This is the only way I'll be fixing pinto beans from now on.

I've made this twice - and the second time they were much better and the only thing I did was used a bigger stock pot and started with 10 cups of water. I'll make a again when I have a hankering for beans!

I made these beans yesterday to eat today but I found myself eating them late last night because I just had to have some. I grew up eating basic white beans cooked with ham hocks but my late mother in law always made "brown" beans with fried taters and cornbread. This recipe was great except I did do the quick soak with just water and drained and rinsed afterward then proceded with the recipe. I was skeptical about the chili powder I didn't want them to taste like chili but after hours of a low simmer it was perfect. I used some country ham pieces packaged just for seasoning. I am sure for those looking for a recipe to take them back to the past where a pot of beans was simmering and time was spent with someone you loved. This will do the trick. Remember seasoning is a matter of taste so don't low rate a recipe cause you up the seasoning. A true cook never measures unless baking anyway.

Loved it! Even my picky kids ate them. These beans tasted just like Sunday dinner at dad's house. I used the 6 hour cooking time and didn't change a thing.

This was SO good! I threw all the ingredients in the crock pot and let it cook all day. I only used 6 cups of water. It was perfect! I served it over fried potatoes, with cornbread muffins. Yummy!

Yummmmmmmmy! I took everyone's advice and let it cook for six hours. I did end up having to add more water (difference between electric range and gas maybe) but it was wonderful. I added some worchestershire sauce and a little garlic powder. My husband LOVED it....and he's not a big fan of pinto beans!

This was pretty tasty - and the first time I'd ever bought and cooked a ham hock. I had to do a little research; I didn't know whether to get a smoked one or not, but I finally settled on a pretty large "hickory smoked pork hock". Otherwise, I made the recipe exactly as written, ingredient-wise. I took the hock out at 4 hours, let it cool for 30 minutes, then stripped it and put the meat and a good amount of the pork fat back into the pot for another 30 minutes. It's a good thing I read elsewhere to peel off and discard the skin from the hock; I wouldn't have known any better otherwise. The dish tasted better when reheated over the next couple of days, since it thickened up more. I had thought the liquid would cook away over 4 hours or so, so I had the heat on low most of the time, but I guess that medium-low (as written) would have been fine after all. I have another hock in the fridge, so I'll be making this again in a week or two. A nice little adventure!

If you're a Southerner, you've probably had these many times. Transplanted to Wisconsin from my native Deep South, this is one of the dishes I make when I need a Southern comfort food fix. Although I don't use a recipe and never have (Southern grandmothers always taught their daughthers and granddaughters how to make a pot of beans!), this recipe minus the chili powder and with a few flakes of crushed red pepper is how I've always made them. Easy and ecomonical, this is good stuff! Cornbread and sweet pickles are a must for me! And it's good with all kinds of beans, although pinto are tops. If you like basic and filling dishes, give it a try.

I've been making beans like this for years. Wonderful comfort food! Don't forget the cornbread. :0

i really thought it lacked flavor. will not make again

This is the best way to cook pintos. Tasty, wonderful and the broth is to die for. Cornbread or biscuits alongside to get that wonderful juice.

Well, I never would have thought of adding chili powder to southern pintos! While this isn't how my hubby's parents make it, we all liked it, and six hours is the best cooking time. Leftovers make awesome REFRIED BEANS!!!! Remove a little liquid if necessary, add some onion and garlic powder, extra chili powder too, and serve up Mexican! Mmmmm!

This tastes just like how my mother-in-law makes her beans and ham. My husband grew up on it. We always serve this with cornbread. You have to have thinly sliced raw onion to sprinkle on and eat with it. She also served fried potatoes when she made this.

Yummy and Easy

Oh my gosh, the smell is so yummy! I really loved the flavor. I used chicken broth instead of water. I couldn't believe the person that said it lacked flavor. I've never used ham hocks before. I believe that is what makes this so flavorful. I waited to the end to add salt, but I don't think it needs it. I believe the ham hocks provided plenty of flavor, along with the other ingredients. This is now my favorite bean recipe.

These are awesome, and they make the house smell awesome too! Very hearty and flavorful. I was skeptical about the chili powder but threw it in anyway and I'm glad I did. I didn't have an onion on hand so I subbed 3T dried minced onion, but otherwise I follow the ingredient list exactly. As others have done, I soaked the beans in plain water overnight, then discarded the water and started fresh when I began cooking. I cooked for about 3 hours and it was plenty tasty and thick at that point. I was wondering whether to cover the pot but decided not to - and I think that's key to getting them to thicken up.

Everyone loved them! I did use chicken broth instead of water omitted the salt and pepper. Added extra garlic and used onion powder instead of real onions. I also added extra onion powder and one bay leaf. I also used two ham hocks. I cooked my beans in the crock pot on low overnight for dinner the next day. They turned out awesome!

Two thumbs up from everyone in the house. I made this using a meaty ham bone from Christmas and simmered for 4.5 hours (got a late start) but it still made a nice New Years' Day meal with sweet cornbread on the side.

I cooked these in the crockpot, so easy I don't know why I've been so afraid to make beans. This recipe is the way my grandma made them as soon as I took the first bite I was transported back 26 years to her kitchen. Thank you for the recipe I will make this again for sure whenever I need the comforts of home:-)

This is how I always do my beans, exactly!!! Doesn't need any more that this except some nice corn bread to go along with it!

Everyone enjoyed the soup! My only addition was four large carrots. No one experienced bloating or gas either; -)

half the fluid should be chicken broth, add salt at end, added Bay Leaf

This was wonderful & warmed the soul on a cold night. I used northern beans instead of pinto. I made this in my slow cooker on low for 8 hours. I also added diced ham steak and removed the ham hock upon serving. I served with buttermilk corn muffins.

Yummy! I soaked the beans overnight, then just threw everything in a pot and simmered on the stove all day. I used a large meaty ham bone leftover and frozen since Christmas.

YUM. The only ham & bean soup I've ever had was made with dried navy beans. That's what I *was* planning on making until I realized my pantry only had a bag of Pinto beans. Am I ever glad. This was delicious!! Took the advice of another reviewer and 'brined' the beans overnight. Drained that water off and then followed the recipe as written (with suggested 6 hour cook time). Delicious. Perfect for a supper on a night the temperature is already at 10 degrees F!

WOW! Great recipe...Watch your pot on this one. You are going to want to taste it as soon as it is done. I didn't have any onions so I used a table spoon of onion powder. I also used 9 cups of water and a couple of chicken bullion cubes. By the way...1 lb of beans= 2 cups. I can't wait for the family to try this one.

This was so good!!! I started with 11 cups water, and I did add onion powder and extra garlic. My ham hocks didn't have much meat, so I added cubed ham. I would never have thought to add chili powder to soup beans but my husband loved it!!! Thanks for a great recipe. Definitely a keeper!

I have been looking for this. I saved my ham bone from Xmas and wanted to make this, but I couldn't figure out how. Well now i know and my son loves this recipe.

Loved it!!!!!!!

My mother made this recipe almost exactly to the letter since I was a little girl. I make it at least once a year with the left over ham bone. It’s the best, my comfort food. I’m in my seventies so I guess this is a classic!

excellent recipe!!! I have made this many times and it's always good. I don't cook mine on the stovetop, I use my crockpot. I usually cook them on low for 8 or more hours. I also moosh some of the beans to make a thicker sauce, after about 7 hours of cooking. I never liked ham and beans till I made this recipe. I did soak the beans overnight and used northern beans, because i don't like pinto beans.

Yummy ham and beans!

This recipe was so good.. I added some cumin, gazon mexican spice package and cilantro. I slow cooked them in the crock pot all day, my family loved them.. Served it with corn bread.. I'll definitely make this meal again. Thanks for sharing.

Tried this recipe for the first time....turned out great...definitely cook for longer. I added more water and cooked for nearly 10hrs and added a cup of brown sugar and some cumin. I'll be doing this one again.

My favorite pinto bean recipe so far. I cooked this recipe with the modifications suggested on Dec 09, 2010 regarding the overnight soak and everyone loved it! I followed the recipe exactly except for that step. I served it with cheese/jalapeno cornbread.

3 stars because this requires a lot more spices than the recipe calls for. As written it is pretty bland. After almost doubling all the spices, the end results were pretty good.

These were some of the best beans ever. The second time I made them I substituted chicken broth for the water and a little extra chili powder and about 4 -5 small garlic cloves, and extra onion. about the last 2 hours of simmering I added a large ham steak cut into chunks. They were FANTASTIC!!!

These were pretty good and easy. I added to the spices cumin, coriander, red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and garlic salt, and a pinch of nutmeg. It still could have used some more heat but with a 3,4, and 8 yr old I was limited. But I did make jalapeno corn bread so that was some more heat for it.

OMGosh I've been making beans for years but these are by far the best beans ever. I followed some other reviewers comments and added bay leaves. Also I presoaked them in chicken broth and all seasonings with salt pork and then I did NOT drain. Plugged in the crockpot on low for 12 hours. AMAZING!

I cooked it in the crock pot so I wouldn't have to worry about it. I put it on in the morning and left it all day until dinner, about 7-8 hours. It turned out wonderful. Thanks!

An almost weekly cold weather Saturday supper around our scatter - served with Spoonbread and my tangy Cole Slaw. (I monitor the salt and add a little Tony Chachere's for a hint of a kick) Laissez les bons temps rouler

This a great recipe however I did make a few changes. I used 4 cups water and 4 cups chicken broth. I also used a leftover ham bone. I didnt use chili powder. I also used half pinto and half great northern beans. This was by far the best pot of beans I have made in years. SErved with corn bread. AMAZING!!!

What a fantastic recipe! Instead of water, I cooked the beans in low salt chicken broth and added no additional salt as the ham hock has plenty on it's own. As always, garlic and onion powders were added along with plenty of black pepper. My sauce turned out thick and creamy and full of flavor and I can't wait to dig into this delicious bowl full of fiber tonight! Thank you Sabryston!

I must have done something wrong. Soaked beans overnight and then cooked in slowcooker on low for 8 hours as some had said. Beans aren't done at all, will cook longer.

Definitely a keeper! Made these for my husband and I (he does not like beans at ALL), and he raved about them for a week afterward! Very similar to my own mother's recipe, we make this recipe at least twice a month at home. Soak them overnight for the best texture, you won't be disappointed!

My family loves this! Four stars rather than five only because I'm not a fan of pinto bean soups. I'll make this again, not a thing needs tweaking.

I make this without the ham in it for a vegetarian version. Add a bay leaf to mine also. Serve it with cornbread, fried tators and coleslaw.

Absolutely love this recipe. I make it with 2 ham steaks instead of a hock. The longer it cooks the better, and if you have leftovers it just gets tastier the next day. Wonderful with fresh bread.

I cooked these in my slow cooker and added some Cavender's Greek seasoning and green chili peppers to kick it up a bit.

Instead of fresh onion I added a 1/4 cup of dried minced onion since I am so allergic to fresh onions. Tasted great!

The thing I didn't like about the recipe is that the liquid burned out after 4.5 hours. It was also kind of bland I thought.

Excellent Recipe! This took me straight back to my childhood - beans, ham, fried potatoes and cornbread! There is NOTHING better!

It was ok, I've had better!

Very down-home and tasty. What I changed: I soaked my beans overnight. I put all ingredients; beans, onion & garlic, ham hock, water & chicken broth, plus seasonings, into my Instant Pot electric pressure cooker. Set it on high pressure for 40 minutes. Let pressure come down naturally for about 10-15 minutes, then opened. So delicious! Came out perfectly. Will make again for my family.

Didn't change a thing..this was delish-served this over Jasmine rice-family loved it! This is definitely a dish whose flavors come through even more the next day after refrigerating overnight.

Great pot of ham and beans. Not quite my mom's, but close. I'd add a little more garlic next time. Everyone here liked these.

very good recipe I did add little more seasonings than called for and cook as suggested cooked for the 6 hours.....My family loved them.....Thanks

Thanks! This is just how my family made it while I was growing up. This was my first time making it on my own, the only thing I did different was I used bacon ends and pieces, and it was SOOO YUMMY!

This is very close to the old recipe my mother and grandmother used to make. Instead of chili powder, I used a 1/4 teaspoon each: paprika, cyan, coriander and cumin. I also used a 1/4lb of side meat cut into 2 inch cubes. Cook it as long as you can. Then spoon over fresh rice. *sigh* That's comfort food!

Great beans. I've been cooking like this for a while now, using this recipe. The only thing I change is I find 6 hours makes them overcooked. I like to cook mine for just the 3 hours.

Loved this! I always make ham and beans with great northern beans, but I had a ham bone to use and only pinto beans on hand. When I saw this called for chili powder, I wasn’t sure about it because I did not want chili, but this is nothing like chili. I’m glad I went with it because this was the best ham and beans I ever had! I think this will be my go to recipe from now on.

This was so yummy! We've had it three times now, and the first time was definitely the best because I simmered it for 8 hours. It's still good if you only have 3 hours, but not anything spectacular. You should really only make it if you'll be able to let it simmer all day. Serve with fried cabbage and cornbread - a first-rate Southern meal!

Terrific and easy. no changes necessary, I simmered for 6 hours and it was perfect.

So much easier than the way I had been making these and a whole lot better all around.

No changes made. Will definetly make again. Wife & I think the best beans we have ever eaten.

This was very good. I did add 1 tsp. paprika to it and added 2 more cups of water. My family loved it.

Very good recipe! The first time I made I used too much garlic and ruined it. The 2nd time I backed off on the garlic and added 2 cans of tomato paste to thicken the liquid and give it some sweetness. I also used the crockpot instead and cooked it on low for 12 hours. Soooo good!!!

This dish has a very mild flavor and really could use some zip. Good base recipe.

YUMMIE!! other than needing more salt it was great

This is awesome! I was born and raised in the North, so when my Kentucky-bred husband asked for 'Brown beans and Ham' I really didn't know what he wanted. I found this recipe, and he LOVES it. I even like it, and I'm not a big bean fan as a rule. The only change I made was adding a couple extra cups of water (I have a gas stove)and adding more onion powder and garlic, because we like things with lots of flavor. This is just great! I'll be serving this when my family comes to visit from New York!

Easy and tasty recipe! Family loves it.

Thank you for your recipe. This was exactly what I was looking for. Perfect southern pintos to accompany fried catfish. These are also good to use leftovers to mash for refried beans for burritos. I didn't have a hamhock so I used a half pound of Petit Jean ham cooked in thru the whole process.

great stuff, used ham bone!

Absolutely delicious! Thank you for sharing your recipe!

Tastes great. I like eating it with corn bread or tortilla chips.

used my leftover spiralham bone and simmered for 6 hours, AWESOME! Next time I'll double the recipe. Thanks!

Love this recipe. Followed it to the letter except I used the alternative of chopped ham instead of a ham hock, and I added a bit of ham boullion to make up for it. YUUUMMMY! Also did the 6 hours. Flavorful and inexpensive.

I used a bean mixture instead of just the pinto beans. IT turned out really good! I added several kinds of different spices to add more flavor.

I soaked the beans overnight, and then combined all ingredients in a crockpot on high for 5 hours using only 6 cups of water. Due to previous comments complaining of blandness, I used 2 ham hocks and added 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp. dried oregano, 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes, and doubled the garlic. I think topping each serving with sour cream and shredded cheddar cheese would be nice.

Great flavor, will definitely make again! Made a few changes to soaking time to remove as much oligosaccharides - indigestible sugars which cause flatulence - as possible from the beans. Step 1: Soak 1 lb pinto beans in 8 cups water overnight in covered pot, soak time 17 hours - NO SALT added Step 2: Rinse beans and pot very well with cold water; add beans and 8 cups water back to pot, bring to boil then promptly remove from heat. Let sit undisturbed for 3 1/2 hours in covered pot - NO SALT added. Step 3: Rinse beans and pot very well. Step 4: Back to pot, add beans, onion, garlic, 2 tsp chili powder, black pepper, 2 meaty ham hocks plus one ham steak cut into 1 inch pieces (ham steak adds salt to dish), cover with 4 cups of water & 4 cups no sodium chicken stock - NO SALT added. Step 5: Simmer in covered pot on med-low for 3 hours. - NO SALT added. Step 6: Mix 1/4 cup flour with 3/4 cup water until smooth. Stir slowly into bean soup mixture. Simmer an additional 45 minutes. - NO SALT added. Step 7: Dish into bowl, top with diced red onion and salt individually according to taste. Served with corn bread.

LOVED IT!!!!

YUMMY! Can I give this 10 stars? I used this base recipe and made it in 1 hour in my pressure cooker. I started by thoroughly rinsing the pinto beans then adding it to the cooker with 10 cups of water (broth not needed, salt slows the cooking of beans + extra salt flavor not needed in final product) and the ham bone, then cooked on high pressure for 8 min. I allowed 15 min of natural release, then opened the valve to quick release the remaining steam. Meanwhile I prepared the remaining ingredients including 2-3 chopped celery stalks and cooked them in 1 Tbsp EVOO to blend flavors. After adding all the remaining ingredients ( including 2 bay leaves-yum) to the beans and water, I pressure cooked them on high for 20 min. I allowed a natural release (about 15-20min) before opening. The beans were perfectly cooked! I prefer my soup a little thicker so I removed the ham bone, strained out about 2 cups of beans, then used my immersion blender to roughly chop the remaining beans and veggies. After replacing the 2c beans, it was the perfect consistency. I served it over homesteader cornbread (WOW) from this site.

Made this because my mother (who doesn't cook anymore) had been requesting beans. I dreaded making them because I remember bland tasteless mush from my childhood. These were a good surprise, and even my Mom liked them.

I made this a few days ago. Very satisfying and so delicious! The only thing I added was extra beans and Emeril`s essence (his own blend of spices which is available at most grocery stores) and I believe it made the flavor better. So, I will definately be making this again and again.

Quick and easy, substituted habanero chile powder for the chili powder (should have cut the amount in half) so it was pretty spicy. Served with Beer Bread and boiled cabbage. Yummy!

This really is soo very good. Our family of four all enjoy this. Our daughter, a picky 9 year old eater, is in fact the one who requests to have this *weekly*!

Edible, but definitely nothing extraordinary. I was expecting more given all the good reviews. Bland and we prefer our other bean recipe - thanks, but probably won't make again.