Rick's Spicy Beans and Ham

The great thing about beans are the endless variations. After years of experimenting, I've settled on this recipe, which is loaded with flavor. I like to put mine in the refrigerator overnight, then scrape the fat off the top before reheating. Serve with a good, crusty bread.

• Preparation Time: 20 mins
• Cooking Time: 6 hr
• Total Time: 6 hr 20 mins
• Calories: 509 Calories

Ingredients

• water to cover
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle beer
• 4 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons chicken soup base
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 4 carrots, chopped
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, or to taste
• 1 (16 ounce) package dried white navy beans
• 1 (16 ounce) package 12-bean soup mix
• 4 smoked ham hocks, or more to taste
• 2 (6 ounce) cans chopped green chiles

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Rinse navy beans and 12-bean mix thoroughly and set aside.

Step 2

Melt butter in a large stockpot over medium-high heat; saute onions, carrots, and celery until onions are clear and soft, 15 to 20 minutes.

Step 3

Mix bean mixture, ham hocks, tomatoes, beer, green chiles, chicken soup base, chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper into onion mixture; add enough water to fill the pot. Bring liquid to a boil, reduce heat to low, and simmer, stirring occasionally, until beans are soft, 6 to 8 hours.