Appalachian Ohio Soup Beans and Cornbread
Dried pinto beans simmered low and slow with a hock of pork until creamy and rich, ladled alongside a wedge of skillet cornbread. It's a staple supper across the hill counties of southeastern Ohio.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 180 min
- Total
- 195 min
- Servings
- 6
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 380 kcal
Equipment
- •Large pot
- •Cast iron skillet
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- fat
- 12
- carbs
- 48
- protein
- 18
- calories
- 380
Instructions
- 1
Drain the soaked beans. Put them in a large pot with the ham hock, onion, garlic, and water.
- 2
Bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for 2.5 to 3 hours, stirring occasionally, until tender and creamy.
- 3
Take out the ham hock and pull off the meat. Put the meat into the pot, and discard the bone and skin.
- 4
Season the beans with salt to taste. Keep them warm.
- 5
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Put a cast-iron skillet with a tablespoon of bacon grease inside to heat.
- 6
Whisk together the cornmeal, flour, buttermilk, egg, and remaining bacon grease into a batter.
- 7
Carefully pour the batter into the hot skillet. Bake for 20 to 22 minutes until golden and set.
- 8
Cut the cornbread into wedges. Serve alongside bowls of the soup beans.
Chef's tips
Soak the beans overnight to shorten cooking time and make them extra creamy.
Storage
Refrigerate beans up to 5 days; they thicken further as they cool.
Reheating
Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to loosen the broth.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Adding salt before the beans are tender, which can make the skins tough.
- •Rushing the simmer, which leaves the beans hard in the center.
Serving suggestions
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