here’s a detailed Southern-style recipe for Pinto Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks and Cornbread, with creamy, smoky beans and tender cornbread.

Pinto Beans with Smoked Ham Hocks

Serves: 6–8
Prep: 15 minutes + soaking
Cook: 2½–3½ hours
Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients

• 1 lb (about 2½ cups) dried pinto beans

• 2 smoked ham hocks, about 1½–2 lb total

• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

• 4 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced

• 2 celery stalks, diced

• 1½ tsp kosher salt, plus more to taste

• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

• 1 tsp smoked paprika

• ½ tsp cayenne pepper, optional

• 2 bay leaves

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 8 cups chicken broth or water, plus more as needed

• 1 tbsp bacon fat or vegetable oil

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, optional

• 1–2 tsp apple cider vinegar, to finish

• 2–3 green onions, sliced

• Hot sauce, for serving

1. Soak the beans

Pick through the dried beans and remove any stones or shriveled beans. Rinse thoroughly.

Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 2–3 inches of cold water.

Soak for 8–12 hours.

Drain and rinse before cooking.

Quick-soak option: Put the beans in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and boil for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.

2. Start the ham hocks

Heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium heat.

Add the bacon fat or oil.

Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and celery. Cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to soften.

Add the garlic and cook for another 30–60 seconds.

3. Build the bean pot

Add:

• Soaked pinto beans

• Smoked ham hocks

• Chicken broth

• Bay leaves

• Thyme

• Black pepper

• Smoked paprika

• Cayenne, if using

The liquid should cover the beans and ham hocks by roughly 1 inch. If necessary, add additional water.

Bring everything to a boil.

Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. The beans should maintain a gentle simmer rather than a vigorous boil.

Cover partially and cook for approximately 2½–3½ hours.

4. Stir and check the beans

Every 30–45 minutes, stir the beans and check the liquid level.

If the beans aren’t covered by liquid, add a little hot water or broth.

Cooking time varies considerably depending on the age of the beans. They’re finished when the beans are very tender and creamy, not merely soft.

The ham hocks should also be extremely tender.

5. Pull the ham

Remove the ham hocks from the pot and place them on a plate or cutting board.

When they’re cool enough to handle, pull the meat from the bones.

Discard the bones, skin, and any undesirable fatty pieces.

Chop or shred the ham and return the meat to the beans.

6. Make the beans creamy

For a thicker, richer bean broth, use the back of a spoon or potato masher to mash about ½–1 cup of the beans directly against the side of the pot.

Stir them back into the pot.

This releases the beans’ starch and creates that classic thick, creamy Southern bean broth without adding flour.

Add Worcestershire sauce if using.

Taste before adding salt because smoked ham hocks can be quite salty.

Add salt gradually until the beans taste well seasoned.

7. Finish with vinegar

Turn off the heat and stir in 1–2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar.

This small amount makes a big difference: it cuts through the richness of the ham and makes the beans taste brighter without making them taste noticeably sour.

Let the beans rest for 10–15 minutes before serving.

Garnish with sliced green onions and serve with hot sauce.

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Southern Skillet Cornbread

Makes: 8–10 servings
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 20–25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1½ cups yellow cornmeal

• ½ cup all-purpose flour

• 1 tbsp granulated sugar, optional

• 1 tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp kosher salt

• 2 large eggs

• 1½ cups buttermilk

• ¼ cup melted butter

• 2 tbsp bacon drippings or butter, for the skillet

1. Heat the skillet

Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the oven.

Preheat the oven to 425°F (220°C).

Let the skillet heat for at least 10 minutes.

The hot skillet is important because it gives the cornbread its crisp, browned crust.

2. Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, whisk together:

• Cornmeal the batter hits

• Flour

• Sugar

• Baking powder

• Baking soda

• Salt

3. Mix the wet ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together the eggs and buttermilk.

Slowly whisk in the melted butter.

4. Combine

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

Stir just until combined.

Don’t overmix. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.

The batter should be thick but pourable. If it seems unusually thick, add another tablespoon or two of buttermilk.

5. Get that crispy crust

Carefully remove the hot cast-iron skillet from the oven.

Add the bacon drippings or butter and swirl it around the bottom.

Immediately pour in the cornbread batter.

You should hear a gentle sizzle when the batter hits the hot fat.

6. Bake

Return the skillet to the oven.

Bake at 425°F for approximately 20–25 minutes, until:

• The top is golden brown.

• The edges are deeply browned.

• A toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

• The center feels set when lightly pressed.

Let it rest for 5–10 minutes before slicing.

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How I’d serve it

Put a generous ladle of the pinto beans into a bowl and place a piece of hot cornbread alongside it.

For an especially good Southern-style plate, add:

• 🧅 Sliced raw or pickled onions

• 🌶️ Hot sauce

• 🥬 Collard greens

• 🥓 A little extra chopped ham

• 🧈 Butter on the cornbread

• 🥒 Chow-chow or pickle relish

One important tip

Don’t add acidic ingredients early. Keep the vinegar, tomatoes, lemon, etc. out until the beans are tender. Acid can make dried beans take much longer to soften.

And don’t aggressively salt at the beginning when using The finished beans should have a thick, almost gravy-like broth, with some beans remaining whole and others partially broken down. smoked ham hocks. Let the ham flavor the cooking liquid first, then adjust the seasoning near the end.

Best texture: The finished beans should have a thick, almost gravy-like broth, with some beans remaining whole and others partially broken down.