Slow-Simmered Pinto Beans with Ham Hock

Name: Slow-Simmered Pinto Beans with Ham Hock
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 50 min
Yield: 8 servings
Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients: 1 pound (454 g) dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed; 1 large (1 to 1¼ pounds) (500 g) smoked ham hock, rinsed under cold water; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil; 1½ cups (225 g) large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 large onion); 5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced; 1 teaspoon (2½ g) smoked paprika; 1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin (optional); 4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth; 4 cups (960 ml) water, cold, plus extra for soaking and topping up; 2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; 1 teaspoon (5 ml) apple cider vinegar (optional); kosher salt, to taste, added at the end (usually ½–1 teaspoon)

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Creamy, tender pinto beans simmered low and slow with a smoky ham hock, sweet onion and garlic in a rich, savory broth. Serve with cornbread as a classic Southern-style side or a simple supper.

Prep: 20 min
Cook: 2 hr 30 min
Wait: 8 hr 10 min
Total: 11 hr
Makes: About 8 cups (8 side servings of 1 cup each)

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Ingredients

8 servings

1 pound (454 g) dried pinto beans, picked over and rinsed
1 large (1 to 1¼ pounds) (500 g) smoked ham hock, rinsed under cold water
1 tablespoon (15 ml) olive oil
1½ cups (225 g) large yellow onion, cut into ½-inch dice (about 1 large onion)
5 cloves (15 g) garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon (2.5 g) smoked paprika
1 teaspoon (2 g) ground cumin (optional)
4 cups (960 ml) low-sodium chicken broth
4 cups (960 ml) water, cold, plus extra for soaking and topping up
2 leaves (1 g) dried bay leaves
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
1 teaspoon (5 ml) apple cider vinegar (optional)
kosher salt, to taste, added at the end (usually ½–1 teaspoon)

Equipment (6)

5½- to 6-quart (5–6 L) heavy-bottomed pot with lid
Large bowl (4-quart / 4 L) for soaking
Colander
Chef's knife and cutting board
Wooden spoon
Tongs and two forks for shredding the meat

Steps

Before you start

Start the night before: the beans need an 8-hour (or overnight) cold-water soak. Most of the 11 hours is hands-off.
Spread the dry beans on a light tray and discard any pebbles, shriveled beans or debris before soaking.
Ham hock and chicken broth are both salty, so don't add salt until the very end, after tasting.
Plan on about 2½ hours of gentle simmering. Older dried beans can take 30–60 minutes longer.

1
Soak the beans
- Put the picked-over beans in a large bowl and cover with about 8 cups (2 L) cold water, so the water sits at least 2 inches above the beans.
- Leave at room temperature for 8 hours or overnight.
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Ready when: Beans look plump and smooth, and a bean cut in half is evenly colored through the center
Tip: If your kitchen is warm (above 78°F / 26°C), soak in the fridge to prevent fermenting.
2
Drain and rinse
- Drain the beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water.
- Discard the soaking water, which carries some of the compounds that cause gas.
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Ready when: Water runs clear through the colander
3
Soften the onion
- Heat the olive oil in the pot over medium heat for 1 minute.
- Add the diced onion and cook, stirring often, for 6–7 minutes.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and translucent with light golden edges
Tip: Lower the heat if the onion browns quickly. Burnt bits turn the broth bitter.
4
Bloom the aromatics
- Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, cumin (if using) and black pepper.
- Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute.
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Ready when: Garlic smells fragrant but hasn't browned
Tip: Add the liquid right away once you smell the garlic, so it doesn't scorch.
5
Add beans and boil
- Add the drained beans, ham hock, bay leaves, chicken broth and 4 cups (960 ml) water.
- The liquid should cover the beans by about 1½ inches.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, about 10 minutes, skimming off any foam with a spoon.
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Ready when: Liquid reaches a full rolling boil, with foam skimmed from the surface
Tip: Don't add salt or acidic ingredients now. They can keep the bean skins tough.
6
Simmer covered
- Reduce the heat to low so the surface barely bubbles.
- Cover with the lid slightly ajar.
- Simmer for 1 hour 45 minutes, stirring gently every 30 minutes and adding hot water ¼ cup (60 ml) at a time if beans are no longer submerged.
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Ready when: Beans are nearly tender and the hock meat pulls away from the bone when prodded
Tip: A hard boil breaks the beans apart. Keep the bubbles lazy.
7
Shred the ham hock
- Lift the hock onto a cutting board with tongs and let it cool for 10 minutes while the beans keep simmering uncovered.
- Pull the meat off the bone, discarding the skin, bone and gristle.
- Shred the meat into bite-size pieces with two forks.
- Fish out and discard the bay leaves.
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Ready when: Meat is fork-tender and reaches at least 145°F (63°C) throughout
Tip: Leave a little of the soft fat on the meat for flavor.
8
Finish and season
- Return the shredded meat to the pot.
- Simmer uncovered over low heat for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Mash a few beans against the side of the pot to thicken.
- Stir in the vinegar (if using), then taste and add salt, starting with ¼ teaspoon and adding more as needed.
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Ready when: Beans are creamy and tender all the way through, and the broth is slightly thickened and glossy
Tip: Taste a few beans, not just the broth, to check seasoning and tenderness.
9
Rest before serving
- Take the pot off the heat, cover, and let it rest for 10 minutes.
- The broth thickens a little further as it cools.
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Ready when: Broth coats the back of a spoon

Good to know

Tips

Keep the simmer gentle. Boiling too hard splits the skins and makes the beans mushy.
Wait to add salt and vinegar until the beans are tender, so the skins soften properly.
If the beans aren't tender after the time given, keep simmering and add hot water as needed. Old beans just take longer.
For a creamier broth, mash about ½ cup of the cooked beans against the pot and stir them back in.

Make ahead

Beans taste even better the next day. Cook completely, cool, and refrigerate in their broth for up to 4 days. Soaked, drained beans can also be refrigerated for 1 day before cooking.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: no more than 2 hours. Fridge: up to 4 days in an airtight container, covered with their broth. Freezer: up to 3 months in freezer-safe containers with ½ inch (1 cm) headspace. Thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a pot over low heat, stirring often, with a splash of water or broth, until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C).

Substitutions

smoked ham hock → smoked turkey wings or 2 smoked turkey drumsticks. A lighter, leaner smoky flavor. Cook times are similar.
low-sodium chicken broth → vegetable broth or additional water. With water, add an extra ½ teaspoon salt at the end.
olive oil → bacon drippings. Adds a smokier, more traditional flavor.
dried pinto beans → dried Great Northern or cranberry beans. Similar soaking and cooking times. Check for tenderness at 90 minutes.