Vintage Cookery - Cornbread & Beans

 

Growing up we had this fairly often and I remember it being one of my dad’s favorite meals.  Not only is it a delicious and very economical meal but it had the added benefit of farting, something my father loved to do.  He thought farting was hilarious and I’m afraid I inherited that gene as well.  I cannot help but laugh myself silly whenever the subject comes up and if you actually do it I am sent right over the edge.  He’d love nothing more than to grab you in a big bear hug and let it rip, not to mention hold you hostage in the car with an SBD (silent, but deadly).  It didn’t matter where we were or what we were doing. He would fart and say “Yep, that’s working.”  Admittedly, there were times in my young life when I’d walk away and pretend I did not know this man.  Mom threatened to disown him on the regular, especially when he’d trap her under the bedcovers.

 

Now that I have whetted your appetite I will give you the down and dirty on how my grandmother as well as my mother would put this lovely concoction together.  They would simply wash and sort a couple cups of beans (more if needed) and then soak them overnight in cold water.  The next day they would drain and rinse the beans and put them in a big pot along with a ham hock or the bone from a ham, fill the pot with water and let it simmer on the back of the stove all day, (I use my slow cooker) stirring on occasion, until the beans were tender.  Then, they would remove the bone leaving the ham bits and chunks in the pot, add salt and pepper and dinner was ready.

 

If serving a crowd I remember there were more beans and thinner broth with the ham chunks less plentiful, but it was always good.  A pan of cornbread was always served with the ham and beans.  My dad would take two squares of cornbread, split them in half and butter (we actually used margarine at the time) each piece laying them out on his plate.  Then he’d ladle the ham and beans on top with more salt and a lot of pepper sprinkled on top and he would always go back for seconds.  I still enjoy it this way myself, but with real butter on my cornbread.

 

When I make this I like to add diced onion, celery and carrots to mine which I’ve been told by my dad ruins them.  He was a purest about his cornbread and beans, but I’ll let you be the judge of whether the addition of onion and carrot is a bad idea.  I do have a lot of fond memories of this very simple and humble meal and how it kept bellies full, especially when times were tough as sometimes they were.  I also remember all of the laughter and antics that ensued not too long afterward.  Oh my goodness!  I love you Dad!