Baked Beans and Ham

Prep: 15 min.
Soak: 8 hours*
Cook: 1 hour, 5 minutes; Bake: 1 hour

1 (20-oz) package dried 15 bean soup mix
4 (or more) cups of water
2-4 (8-oz) smoked ham hocks
1 large sweet onion, diced
2 cups chopped cooked ham
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup ketchup
1 cup B-B-Q sauce
3 Tablespoons brown sugar
2 Tablespoons spicy brown mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1 can of chicken (or beef broth) This is an optional ingredient, I feel this recipe would be too dry without it.
1/4 cup bourbon (optional)

Place beans in a Dutch oven; add water 2 inches above beans, and soak 8 hours*. Drain.

Bring beans, 4 cups of water, and ham hocks to a boil in a Dutch oven; cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain. Remove beans; set beans aside. Remove ham hocks; let cool; chop meat, discarding skin and bones.

Saute onion and 2 cups ham in hot oil in Dutch oven 5 minutes or until onion is tender. Add beans, reserved meat from ham hocks, ketchup, B-B-Q sauce, next 4 ingredients, and, if desired, bourbon to Dutch oven.

Bake, covered, at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

I don't have a Dutch oven so I just use a large pot and transfer the ingredients to an oven-safe dish to bake.


SORTING AND SOAKING BEANS

To sort beans, pick out any foreign substances such as small stones and soil particles.

*For quick soaking, add 6-8 cups of water to 1 pound dried beans, and bring to a boil. Cover and cook 2 minutes; remove from heat, and soak 1 hour. Rinse and drain; cook according to recipe directions.