Pork and bean soup Watch for hock specials

Press, 29 May 1985, Page 14

Pork and bean soup Watch for hock specials

Alison Holst’s

Food Facts ■4 i

A few times every year I make a large pot of pork and bean soup. I don’t really plan ahead for it because I only “get the urge” when I see bacon hocks for a reasonable price on display in a supermarket or butchers. This time my 750 g bacon hock cost me only $1.20. With the addition of 750 g beans, five litres of water and a few vegetables I had a substantial soup suitable for 12 to 16 servings as the main part of the meal. I like bowls of this soup with wholemeal toast or rolls, with cheese for those who want it, and apples to finish up with. If I want something extra I add bran or fruity muffins.

Because bacon hocks can be salty, you need to add plenty of water and plenty of beans to absorb it. If your bacon hock isn’t as salty as mine you can al-

ways add extra seasoning just before serving the soup.

Don’t add any salt until this stage is reached, though, since it is upsetting to finish up with a mixture which is too salty to eat.

In this recipe I have tried to economise with fuel. You must decide for yourself how much to cook the beans. Undercooked beans will not the make soup which is creamy and thick. Although you can use beans of any colour, shape, and size when you make soup like this, you may find it hard to cook a mixture of beans so they all finish up equally tender. Dark red beans make a soup which is a rather peculiar colour — but if this dosn’t worry you — use them — they taste fine! I find small white beans are best of all, for cost, flavour, and cooking time. 1 bacon hock (about 750 g) 4 litres water 750 g dried beans 1 litre vegetable liquid 4 large onions 1-2 cups sliced celery 1-2 carrots, chopped 50g butter V2-I cup chopped parsley Put the bacon hock in a large saucepan with the water, bring to the boil and

cook for one hour. Just before turning off the heat add the dried beans. Cover the saucepan and leave to stand overnight, or for about eight hours. If you cook any vegetables for other meals during this time cook them without added salt and save the liquid for your soup. Make it up to one litre with water. If you have no vegetable stock use extra water instead.

Bring the bacon and bean mixture with the added extra stock or water back to the boil, and simmer for an hour, or until the meat on the hock is tender and the beans are soft. Lift out the hock, cool it enough to work with, then remove all the meat and fat from the bone. Cut the meat, fat, and skin into small cubes and return them to the soup. Put the

bone back into the soup too, since a little more flavour will probably come from it before it is finally lifted out and discarded. Chop the onion, celery, and carrot finely and cook them gently in the butter in a large frying pan until they are tender but not brown. Add them to the soup with the chopped parsley, cook everything for 15 to 30 minutes longer, then turn off the heat and leave to stand, cooling gradually for at least half an hour. Check the texture of the beans at this stage. They should be meltingly tender. If they are not, cook the soup until they are. Ladle the finished soup into preserving jars or other containers which can be suitably refrigerated or frozen. Refrigerate up to four days, or freeze for longer storage.

Notes: When reheating this soup, watch that it does ’ not burn. Taste it critically ■ and season carefully if * necessary, adding fresh •», herbs to taste, if they are available. If a microwave oven is available, use it to reheat individual servings or a larger container, since risk of burning will be avoided. If a smooth creamy soup is required, puree everything, adding a little cream if desired. This changes the whole character of the soup — it is quite different, but still very good.