So finally we reached the heart of the ham, the hambone. Well I didn't want this to be forgotten. I had stuck it in the freezer knowing that someday I'd make some ham broth or some hambone soup or something with it. It's been insanely cold in Edmonton the last week and from what the evil weatherman is saying its going to stay that way for another week. So I decided that now rather than later would be an amazing time for some fresh, hot homemade soup.
Now this is not a recipe. This is simply what I do so measurements are not accurate. I took the onions, garlic, hambone, and celery and placed them in a large soup pot. I added just slightly more than a pinch of sugar over the onions. I then added enough water to just cover the veggies (most of the hambone was still out of the water). Placed that on the burner at High and let it start to bubble. When you could smell the ham cooking I added more water to cover it and then added the carrots, beans, bay leaves, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. That's it. I then let simmer for 4 hours. At the 4 hour mark I added smallish chunks of potatoes and let cook until the potatoes were soft.
It was a big success to everyone. It was very simply spiced. The bay leaves, which always make me nervous were quite nice. A tip: They never tell you to fish out the fat and bones and bay leaves. I'm sure its just assumed. I did fish out the meat, bones, and bayleaves. I then shredded the meat some more and removed the fat. It was yummy. I'd also add the carrots, more onions, and celery at the 2 hour mark. That way you have some crunch and texture. Oh and cook the potatoes less. I let them cook a little too much.
But those are nit picky. There are maybe 2 bowls left of the huge pot. It of course was yummy.
Now I've seen a thousand recipes for hambone soup, split pea soup, bean and ham soup, and a million other uses for the hambone. I find that in some cases the best thing to do is use what you've got. So I looked around and I decided to make something simple with a nice slow simmer. According to one of the Food Network Chefs a soup is all about the building of flavors in layers. If you add something too early it can be destroyed or if you add something too late it won't have the full impact. I find that soup is simply about simplicity and texture. Here's how I made it
1 - Hambone
2 - Medium onions, chunked
3 - large celery stalks, chunked
2 - heaping tablespoons of jarred minced garlic
2 - Bay Leaves
5 - large carrots - sliced
1 - bag of mixed dry beans
3 - medium potatoes chunked
Several small handfuls of real bacon bits
Sugar, salt, and pepper to taste
Now this is not a recipe. This is simply what I do so measurements are not accurate. I took the onions, garlic, hambone, and celery and placed them in a large soup pot. I added just slightly more than a pinch of sugar over the onions. I then added enough water to just cover the veggies (most of the hambone was still out of the water). Placed that on the burner at High and let it start to bubble. When you could smell the ham cooking I added more water to cover it and then added the carrots, beans, bay leaves, and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. That's it. I then let simmer for 4 hours. At the 4 hour mark I added smallish chunks of potatoes and let cook until the potatoes were soft.
It was a big success to everyone. It was very simply spiced. The bay leaves, which always make me nervous were quite nice. A tip: They never tell you to fish out the fat and bones and bay leaves. I'm sure its just assumed. I did fish out the meat, bones, and bayleaves. I then shredded the meat some more and removed the fat. It was yummy. I'd also add the carrots, more onions, and celery at the 2 hour mark. That way you have some crunch and texture. Oh and cook the potatoes less. I let them cook a little too much.
But those are nit picky. There are maybe 2 bowls left of the huge pot. It of course was yummy.
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