Pot Of Beans (Italian Style) Recipe

Sideways image of the last delicious pot of beans my family enjoyed. Rinse beans thoroughly, looking through them to remove any dirt or small rocks.

Place beans into 5 – 8 quart pot or dutch oven, cover them with the water, put lid on, and soak overnight.

Next day, you will notice that the beans have absorbed most of the water you started out with so add fresh water to the beans so they are just covered.

On medium heat, bring the pot of water and beans to a boil. Once boiling, lower the heat so the water is just simmering. Cover the pot and cook for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender.

Stir in the tomatoes, catsup, crushed garlic, oregano, salt and pepper then add the ham hock or bone into the cooked beans. Cover again and continue to simmer on low to medium low heat for another hour then take lid off and cook for one to two more hours, stirring and tasting occasionally.

You know they are done when the beans are tender, the ham falls off the bone and the sauce has thickened.

Remove the ham bone before serving.