Navy Beans and Smoked Hog Jowls

Some time ago I recalled reading about a recipe using smoked hog jowls or smoked ham hock for flavoring. I opted for the ham hocks. The meat on the ham hock never did get soft enough to remove from the bone easily. So this time I decided to use hog jowls with my navy beans.

Navy beans are smaller than great northern beans. They are a variety of a common bean native to the Americas. The beans are called navy beans because the United States has served them to sailors since the mid 1800's, due to their nutritious value. Click the link to read about all the benefits of eating navy beans.

When I got the sliced smoked hog jowls home I saw they seemed to have a lot of fat like bacon so I decided to pre-cook them so I could remove most of the fat. I ended up cooking them quite crisp. I hoped that wasn't a mistake. I soaked the navy beans overnight and drained them in the morning.

I chopped an onion and sauteed it in a bit of olive oil. Next I added 3 stalks of chopped celery. Then I added the navy beans and a can of chopped tomatoes. (If tomato acid bothers you, at the end stir in one tablespoon of baking soda and stir till foaming ends). I added two teaspoons of cumin, 2 tablespoons of molasses, 1 1 tablespoon of worchestershire sauce, four bay leaves, one teaspoon of  thyme and garlic powder, salt and pepper. If you like a little heat add one chopped hot pepper or sprinkled in some red pepper flakes

I tossed in the pre-cooked chopped smoked hog jowls. I also added about four cups of water. I brought the bean mixture to a boil and let them simmer for about one and one half hours. When the beans are soft they are ready to eat. To my relief the hog jowls softened up in the beans. Gary raved about the beans and he wasn't a sailor but was in the air force. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.