Slow Cooker White Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks

On the Menu Today~

Slow Cooker White Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks

This is inexpensive eating at it's best!

Not only is economical, this meal is hearty and satisfying.

A great meal option when you want a big bowl of comfort.Slow Cooker White Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks~

Twice a year we order half a pig

from some friends of ours that raise them.

They always throw in extra smoked ham hocks....

I use them to make soup and baked beans but

this time I wanted to make something different

I found this recipe on: Never Enough Thyme.

It's a winner....delicious, smokey, with chunks of ham, veggies and

tender beans.

What are Ham Hocks Anyway???

Ham Hock is the lower hind leg of a hog.

It's usually cured, smoked or both.

It's used to add a smokey and salty flavor to

soups and stews.

Ham hocks consist of a lot of skin, tendons and ligaments,

so they require long cooking through stewing or braising.

Ham hocks can be cooked with greens or other vegetables,

made into soups, stews and to add flavor to sauces.

Slow Cooker White Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks~

Ham hocks add distinctive flavor to any dish and

are available year round.

After cooking and once you remove the skin and fat,

ham hocks actually contain more meat than you might realize.

For this reason ham hocks not only add flavor but

are very economical to use.

In the US, ham hocks are used extensively in Soul cooking and

the Pennsylvania Dutch use ham hocks to make scrapple.

Ham hocks are used in many different countries as well;

Golonka~ Polish

Eisbein~ German

Stelze~ Austria

Schweinshaxe~ Bavaria

Fläsklägg med rotmos~ Sweden

Wädli~Swirtzerland

just to name a few.

This dish is made in the slow cooker so

you can head out the door in the morning and

when you get home, supper will be waiting for you.

I like to serve Slow Cooker White Beans and

Smoked Ham Hocks with thick slices of buttered sourdough bread.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, add olive oil, onion, carrots, celery, garlic, thyme, parsley, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 10 minutes.

Place the vegetables, ham hocks, beans and chicken stock or water in a 6-quart (or larger) slow cooker. Cook on low for 8 hours. About one hour before the cooking time is completed, remove the ham hocks from the slow cooker and let them cool until they can be handled. Remove and discard the bones, fat and skin from the ham hocks. Chop or shred the meat and return it to the slow cooker, cook until the beans are completely tender.

Serve with thick slices of buttered bread

Beans, Slow Cooker, Ham, Stew, Carrots