Southern Pinto Beans and Ham Hocks Made in the Crock Pot
This pinto bean recipe is super easy and practically foolproof. You won’t need a lot of ingredients, and you don’t have to worry about being in the kitchen all day because we’re using our crock pot.
This pinto bean recipe is super easy and practically foolproof. You won’t need a lot of ingredients, and you don’t have to worry about being in the kitchen all day because we’re using our crock pot.
- Carbohydrate 3.43328752633063 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.0758631295573295 g
- Fiber 0.453109136199895 g
- Protein 0.644548407969232 g
- Saturated Fat 0.0177006970612047 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1668g)
- Sodium 68.2375264610467 mg
- Sugar 2.98017839013073 g
- Trans Fat 0.0140432051263135 g
- Calories 15 calories
Step-by-step
- After sorting and washing the beans, put them in the crock pot.
- Add in the onions, garlic, and ham hock ( or substitution).
- Pour in the water, then sprinkle in the seasonings.
- Cover the Crock Pot, then set in on high for 6 hours.
- Once the beans are done, serve them over rice.
- Garnish with green onions ( optional).
- Enjoy!
Smoked ham hocks release rendered collagen and phenolic compounds into the surrounding liquid as they cook, transforming plain water into a rich, gelatinous broth that coats the tongue. Slow cookers maintain a steady heat around 200 degrees Fahrenheit, which provides the sustained, gentle thermal energy required to soften the hard pectin bonds in dry legumes without rupturing their skins. This steady environment allows alliums like yellow onion to sweeten gradually through caramelization reactions, balancing the intense salinity and smoke of the cured pork.
Dry pinto beans require thorough sorting to remove small stones and damaged seeds that will not hydrate properly alongside the rest of the batch. Submerging the legumes in seven cups of water ensures adequate absorption during the six-hour high-heat cooking cycle, preventing the beans from scorching against the bottom of the ceramic insert. Adding salt too early in traditional boiling can sometimes toughen bean skins, but the prolonged low-temperature environment of a slow cooker mitigates this effect while seasoning the interior starches evenly.
Testing for doneness relies on tactile feedback rather than internal temperature readings. Pressing a single cooked bean against the roof of the mouth should yield zero resistance, revealing a creamy, uniform interior with no starchy chalkiness remaining at the center. If the texture is still firm after six hours, extend the cooking time in thirty-minute increments until the desired tenderness is achieved.
Starch molecules continue to retrograde as the mixture cools, meaning the broth will thicken noticeably upon standing. Leftovers store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days, and the flavors often improve overnight as the starches fully absorb the seasoned stock.
