Black Beans

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Really good black beans with out all the soaking. Could be converted to vegetarian by leaving out the ham hock and adding more seasoning.

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Steps

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Over medium heat , in a heavy kettle or dutch oven , saut onions in oil till soft and transparent.

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Add garlic and saut till fragrant and lightly browned.

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Add more oil as necessary.

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Add water , beans , ham hock bay leaves , parsley , salt and cumin.

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Bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

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Skim surface as required.

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Reduce heat to low and simmer , partially covered for about two hours , or until several beans test tender.

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Remove ham hock from beans.

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If beans are still watery you can continue to simmer or use an immersion blender or the back of a large spoon to puree some of the beans.

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Dice optional meat and put into beans.

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Adjust seasoning.

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Prepare rice as directed.

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When cool enough to handle , remove ham from hock , discard bone and skin , and cut meat into bite-size pieces.

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Set aside.

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Serve beans over rice with a couple chunks of the hock meat on top.

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Garnish with more chopped parsley.

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Ingredients

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olive oil, onions, garlic cloves, black beans, water, smoked ham hock, bay leaves, parsley, salt, ground cumin, ground black pepper, smoked ham, cooked white rice