Cranberry Bean Stew with Ham
Cook time: 40 minutes
So you’ve cooked a pot of dried cranberry beans, but now what? Cranberry bean stew with ham (and cornbread and pickled carrots, if you desire) is what. For the cornbread, cook your favorite recipe or grab some from the store. You cooked those cranberry beans from scratch, so if you want to take a break and not bake, I will allow it. The pickled carrots are optional and are for texture and acid. You could also just leave the carrots raw.
The way we are going to build flavors for this quick stew is by deglazing. Deglaze, deglaze, deglaze. Brown the first batch of ham, deglaze. Repeat and deglaze. Get some color on the onion, and deglaze again.
To dice the apple, just cut the cheeks off of the core, and then dice up the cheeks. I would cut them into slightly smaller pieces that you see in that photo.
With any leftover cooked cranberry beans, don’t forget to try out this romesco cranberry bean salad recipe! Good on toast and good without the toast.
Special Equipment
Large Pot or Dutch Oven
I always use my Lodge 6 quart dutch oven
Wooden Spoon
I like these bamboo cooking spoons – you can never have too many!
Ingredients
14 oz ham
I used a black forest “ham nugget”
1/2 large white or yellow onion
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, divided
4 cups cooked cranberry beans, along with their cooking liquid
or substitute 1 cup of water and 32 ounces of canned beans, rinsed thoroughly,
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1 apple
Cooked cornbread
Use your favorite recipe
Pickled carrots
Cut carrots into small pieces (similar in size to the photo above), bring some vinegar to a boil, add some salt and sugar, dissolve, add the carrots. Remove from heat, cool. Can be made the day before or while you are cooking the stew.
Salt and pepper, to taste.
hot sauce (optional)
Directions
Step 1
Chop up the ham into bit sized pieces. Dice the onion. We will brown the ham in two batches. Heat up a pot over medium heat and add a bit of oil. Add the ham and stir every few minutes until the ham starts to pick up some color. Once the first batch of ham has been browned, remove it from the pot. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pot, and once most of the water has evaporated cook the rest of the ham. Once the second batch of ham has some color, remove.
Step 2
Add another splash of water to the pot. Once most of the water has evaporated, add the onion, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well. Put the lid on the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and chop 1 clove of garlic. After 5 minutes, remove the lid. The onion should have some nice color. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to deglaze.
Step 3
Add the beans to the pot. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Uncover and increase heat to high. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, finely dice 1 apple. Add the ham and apple to the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir well, cover, and cook on low for 10 minutes.
Step 4
How does the stew look and taste? If you think it is too thick, add some water. Does it need more salt? If so, add some more salt, along with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and some more freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and remove from heat.
Step 5
To serve: Ladle the stew into a bowl. Top with pickled carrots and cornbread. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired.
CRANBERRY BEAN STEW WITH HAM
Ingredients
- 14 oz ham
- 1/2 large white or yellow onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar, divided
- 4 cups cooked cranberry beans, along with their cooking liquid
- or substitute 1 cup of water and 32 ounces of canned beans, rinsed thoroughly,
- 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 apple
- Cooked cornbread
- Pickled carrots
- Cut carrots into small pieces (similar in size to the photo above), bring some vinegar to a boil, add some salt and sugar, dissolve, add the carrots. Remove from heat, cool. Can be made the day before or while you are cooking the stew.
- Salt and pepper, to taste.
- hot sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Chop up the ham into bit sized pieces. Dice the onion. We will brown the ham in two batches. Heat up a pot over medium heat and add a bit of oil. Add the ham and stir every few minutes until the ham starts to pick up some color. Once the first batch of ham has been browned, remove it from the pot. Add a splash of water to deglaze the pot, and once most of the water has evaporated cook the rest of the ham. Once the second batch of ham has some color, remove.
- Add another splash of water to the pot. Once most of the water has evaporated, add the onion, a pinch of salt, and freshly ground black pepper. Stir well. Put the lid on the pot and cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and chop 1 clove of garlic. After 5 minutes, remove the lid. The onion should have some nice color. Add the garlic and stir. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar to deglaze.
- Add the beans to the pot. Stir, cover and cook for 5 minutes on medium heat. Uncover and increase heat to high. Add 1 teaspoon of salt, lots of freshly ground black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, and 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Stir well and cook for 2 minutes. Meanwhile, finely dice 1 apple. Add the ham and apple to the pot and reduce heat to a simmer. Stir well, cover, and cook on low for 10 minutes.
- How does the stew look and taste? If you think it is too thick, add some water. Does it need more salt? If so, add some more salt, along with 1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and some more freshly ground black pepper. Stir well and remove from heat.
- To serve: Ladle the stew into a bowl. Top with pickled carrots and cornbread. Drizzle with hot sauce, if desired.
Notes
Remember to refer to the web site for additional info!
