Classic after-Christmas Question: Ham Bone

This soup is so delicious!
German Potato Soup from Jennifer B..

½ cup vegetable oil (olive oil or half olive oil half veg oil)
½ cup flour
1 Lg. Onion chopped
1 cup celery chopped
1 tsp paprika
8 med. Potatoes peeled and cubed
2 quarts hot water
1 garlic clove minced
1 lb ham hocks/ or ham bone
1 lb cubed smoked sausage
1 Tbl. salt
1 tsp black pepper
1 cup sour cream

Garnish : Additional sour cream , chopped green onions and paprika

1. In a large stock pot, cook vegetable oil flour till golden brown, making a light roux. Add onion , celery, and paprika and cook until vegetables are wilted.

2. Add potatoes and brown slightly.

3. Add hot water, garlic, ham hocks, salt, and pepper. Cover and simmer for 45 min to 60 minutes. Carefully remove ham hocks and allow to cool slightly. Remove meat from bone and cut into cubes.

4. Coarsely mash potatoes with potato masher. Return meat to soup and discard bones. Add cubed ham or sausage. Heat through and stir in sour cream. Garnish with paprika and extra sour cream. Chopped green onions add color..

I use the bone (and any attached ham) to make ham and beans.... there are bunches of different recipes, but basically, after I cook the beans, I toss the bone in the water/beans for a while, and let it simmer.... getting all the good flavor from it. Then I remove the bone, let it cool, and pick off any of the meat that is still there and toss the meat into the soup.

There are different recipes you can follow, but basically, I do a quick-cook of the navy beans (don't add salt to the water, or the ham bone yet... that will make the beans really crunchy), then cook the beans (after the quick-cook) for about an hour. When the beans are done, I add other veggies like carrots, onions, celery, the ham bone, seasonings, etc and simmer another 30 minutes or so, then pick the meat off the bone and toss that in.

Yummy!

I'll be doing this in a few days......

Boston Baked Beans is always good --the recipe should be in any general info cook book.
15 Bean Soup is really good too and simple. You find the bag of beans in the aisle with the Navy beans and lentils. Just follow the recipe on the bag, I don't use the flavor packet, too much salt, and mine always turns out great.

We used ours today for our hoppin' johns. We just finished dinner, and it was lovely!!

Hoppin' johns is a traditional southern meal for new years, along with collard greens (which I can't eat, but my husband does). We added pork chops and cornbread. Yum!!!

Dawn

just made a pot of beans on Christmas Day for my 90yo Gma!

I use dried Great Northern Beans. Soak them overnite, rinse, & refill the pot w/ water. Bring to a boil, & then let simmer.

When I hit the simmer point, I add garlic/S&P/parsley or cilantro...& the ham bone. I also use my mini food processor & grind onions, garlic, carrots, & celery. (My Granny doesn't like chunky soup:) I simmer the soup until all vegies & the beans are tender.

At this point, I remove the bone....pull the meat off & add it to the pot. I also add more chopped ham - as needed. (my family prefers lots of meat.) I serve the Ham & Bean Soup with cornbread. My Mom prefers hers poured over white bread. & crazy, crazy....my ILs serve the soup over pancakes. (insert eye roll here, please!)

I also serve coleslaw as a side.....& lots of iced tea!