Ham Bone ideas

[Kathy]

I cooked up a spiral cut ham for dinner & Tom's lunches.

I have a nice ham bone along with a few cups of ham bits. Having a whole ham bone isn't something that happens often since we don't have ham all that often.

I have lentils, multiple varieties of beans, split peas & lots of noodles & rice(brown,white & wild). Plenty of cheeses & canned tomatoes as well as all the standard pantry staples.

So please help me make the most of my precious ham bone!

[Deleted]

Poor Kathy! Nobody answered you yet?

Here's what I'd do. Soak some of ALL your varieties of beans (you want a little of everything) overnight... you know the drill. Plop your hambone in your biggest stockpot and cover with water. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for a couple of hours. Toss in a couple of quartered onions and some celery tops if you have them. And salt! When the meat's starting to fall off the bone, take the bone out and get as much meat off it as you can, plus the extra ham meat, then toss that back in with your soaked and rinsed beans.

At this point I'd do "sniff and dump" which is going through the spice cabinet and smelling everything - if it smells like it would be good in there, dump some in. If not, put it back. Simmer the soup for another couple hours, or until the beans are tender. Toss in a handful of that wild rice (you don't want it to cook as long as everything else) and let it go for another 15 - 30 minutes. Then drop in a huge chunk of butter and stir until it's melted. Then if you have any cream, or half and half, pour in a cup or so of that to finish it, and now it's time to eat!

Sheesh! That sounds good! Makes me wish I had a HAMBONE!

~Lannie

[Deleted]

I just realized that ham's probably loaded with salt, so don't put any extra unless it needs it. (Duh!)

~Lannie

[starfire]

I'd pu it in a big ol pot of northern beans.