Add a ham hock to the pot when cooking beans and peas. This brings so much flavor; whether it is fresh vegetables or frozen.
By Gayle C. from Tallahassee, FL
I agree that for flavoring dried beans and peas nothing beats the flavor of ham hocks. I cook the hocks separately the day before, until the meat is falling off the bone. I discard the bone and fat while still warm, then refrigerate the broth and skim off most of the congealed fat before adding the liquid to the water I cook the beans in. I usually shred the meat and add it after the beans are cooked.
This page contains the following solutions.
Honey Baked Hams sells ham hocks. They have a lot of ham still on them, and they are priced by weight.
It will be best to soak your beans first before cooking them, and even your ham hock to remove excess salt. This is a page about cooking ham hocks and dry beans in a pressure cooker.
