Recipe: Black Beans with Brown-Sugared Ham

Here is a new recipe I came up with last week, when cleaning out my freezer to make room for the next round of meat from my CSA. This one is a hearty, healthy, and delicious recipe great for these long, cold winter nights! You could use other kinds of meat as well - venison would probably work well, or a tougher cut of beef. I cooked it in the crockpot for maximum tenderness and minimum work, but you could do it on the stove-top as well - it will still probably need a couple of hours, for the meat to fall apart as it should.

Feel free to improvise as you wish, and share your outcomes below!

But here is the way I did it:

Black Beans with Brown-Sugared Ham

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups black beans (dry), rinsed and soaked 8 hours
1 ham hock, or small ham, bone-in (organic/naturally raised)
1 large onion, diced
3 TB brown sugar
2 tsp ground cumin
1 14-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 fresh (or frozen) jalepeno peppers
1/2 tsp salt
Water, to cover

Instructions:

1. Spread diced onion in bottom of 2-qt (or larger) crockpot.
2. Rub ham liberally with brown sugar on all sides, and set on top of onions. Sprinkle minced garlic over.
3. Drain black beans and rinse well. Fill beans in around ham. Sprinkle with the cumin.
4. Pour diced tomatoes over all. 
5. Gently pour in water until beans are completely covered (it is okay if ham sticks up a little above the beans).
6. Cover crockpot tightly, and cook on High for 4 hours. Lower heat to Low, and continue to cook 2 more hours. 
7. Mince jalepenos (or other small hot peppers) finely, add to crock pot with salt, and stir well. Cook 1-2 more hours, til done. Beans should be tender, and ham falling off the bone. 
8. Using a fork, shred meat, and remove the bone.
9. Serve hot, with green salad or steamed greens, and cornbread.