Smoky Beans and Bacon Hock
Made with smoky bacon hock, this big, slow-cooked batch of smoky beans is the ultimate winter comfort food. Perfect with an egg and buttery toast, it’s sure to become your new favourite breakfast or Sunday night staple.
Ingredients
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 green capsicum, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp chilli flakes
2 tins chopped tomatoes
2 Tbsp brown sugar
2 Tbsp molasses or golden syrup
2 Tbsp Culley’s liquid smoke
2 Woody’s Free Range nitrate-free bacon hocks
750ml - 1 litre water
2 cans red kidney beans, drained
A small handful of coriander leaves
Method
Heat the oil in a large, heavy-based saucepan and fry the onion, celery and capsicum until soft. Add the garlic, bay leaf, smoked paprika, and chilli flakes, and cook for one minute. Add the tomatoes, brown sugar, molasses, liquid smoke, bacon hocks, and enough water to just cover the hocks. Bring up to a simmer, cover with a lid, and cook for 1½ - 2 hours, until the meat is tender and pulling away from the bone. Remove the hocks and set aside to cool, then remove and discard the skin and shred the meat.
Simmer to reduce the liquid by about half, then add the beans and return the bacon hock meat to the pan to heat through. Adjust the seasoning to taste and finish with a sprinkle of roughly chopped coriander. Serve with poached eggs and buttered toast.
For a vege twist: Fry a packet of Sunfed boar free ‘bacon’ in oil and set aside. Then proceed with the recipe, omitting the bacon hocks and adding just 1 cup water. Cook for 25 minutes, then add the beans and boar free bacon.