“Better beans and bacon in peace than cakes and ale in fear.” – Aesop
My plan was to prepare navy bean and ham hock soup, a winter staple. The west side Redding Grocery Outlet Bargain Market had lots of dried beans, but I was searching for white beans, either cannellini, navy beans, or great Northern beans. Alas, not a single white bean in sight. However, I did find a bag of Mayocoba beans, which were new to me. They were a pale yellow. Close enough. I bought a 2-pound bag and returned home to do a little research.
According to Rancho Gordo.com, a Napa-based company run by folks who are dried-bean growers and experts, the Mayocoba beans are among their favorite heirloom beans.
“Creamy and versatile, Mayocoba has a pale yellow hue and super soft texture,” says a description on the Rancho Gordo website.
“A classic, thin-skinned but meaty bean that will take on all the flavors you can throw at it but still hold its shape. There is some debate over the origins of Mayocoba, and whether it’s native to Mexico or Peru. Either way, it’s now quite at home in our California beanfields. It is also known as Canario or Peruano bean and is a common ingredient in Mexican soups and side dishes.”
I was sold on the Mayocoba beans and set out to prepare my soup. First, just for the sake of comparison, once home from the store I set a bowl of navy beans and Mayocoba beans side by side. Sure enough, the navy beans were bright white, white the Mayocoba beans were an assortment of butter-hues. I could see why some people refer to Mayocoba beans as Canary beans.
Mayocoba beans on the left, navy beans on the right.
However, I found it interesting that during the cooking process, the Mayocoba beans didn’t retain their yellow color. Instead, they transformed into a pale pinkish hue, most likely picked up from the ham hocks.
Color aside, I treated the Mayocoba beans as if they were navy beans. I soaked the beans in water the night before cooking them. Because I used the entire 2-pound bag of beans, there were too many to fit in my crock pot. So I broke out my favorite stainless steel belly-bottomed pot, a promotional item from Safeway many decades ago.
Step 1 and 2: Pick through the beans and toss any duds. Then rinse the beans.
The soup recipe is simple: Beans, chicken broth, onions, carrot, celery, mixed herbs, and garlic. Of course, the ham hocks were the star of the show. I roasted them a bit in the cornbread pan, mainly because I don’t like just putting cold meat into the soup. Not particular reason. I just like to get a light sear on the ham hocks before adding them to the soup, but this step also imparts some ham hock flavor in the cornbread. Win win, as they say.
About the cornbread. I hadn’t planned on making cornbread to accompany the bean soup, but I found an interesting bag of Pearl Milling Company white cornmeal at the Grocery Outlet Bargain Market for a good price ($2.99 for 5 pounds!), and because I love a bargain, I bought it.
So far, I’d gone looking for white beans and bought yellow beans, and instead of buying traditional yellow cornmeal, I bought white cornmeal that included a recipe on the back for something called Dixie cornbread, which was also new to me.
Apparently, Dixie cornbread is a traditional, savory Southern-style cornbread known for its dense, moist texture, typically made with buttermilk, white cornmeal, melted shortening, lard or bacon grease, and little to no sugar. It has a dense crumb, almost like a semolina cake texture. It is usually baked in a scorching-hot cast-iron skillet to produce a thick, crispy crust, resulting in a hearty, authentic, old-timey cornbread. Or so I learned online.
A couple of things about the cornmeal recipe. First, this particular cornmeal was ground very fine, to the point where it almost looked more like flour. Second, the resulting batter was so thin that I thought I’d made a mistake and had added too much liquid. Nope. It turned out just fine.
Finally, I baked it in a big oven-proof frying pan, but the cornbread’s underside was a darker brown that I would have liked. (Guests didn’t complain.) Next time I’ll make sure I put the pan higher up in the oven.
The moral of this cooking story is to go with the flow and keep an open mind about ingredients. Look at me! I did exactly that, and am now a fan of Mayocoba beans and white cornmeal. The results were delicious. Now, I’m a Mayocoba bean convert.
Doni’s Best Ham Hock and Mayocoba Bean Soup
1 pound dried Mayocoba beans (or navy beans, cannellini beans, or great northern beans)
2 or 3 large smoked ham hocks
2 large white onions, finely diced
2 carrots, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 head of garlic, peeled and finely diced or mashed
Olive oil
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 bay leaves
6 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper, to taste
Hot water
1/2 cup heavy cream or 2 tablespoons butter (optional)
Soak beans over night in hot water, removing and throwing away any dud beans.
In a large pot sauté the ham hocks, then remove them from the pot and set aside. (If you’re making cornbread, you can roast the ham hocks for a few minutes in the cornbread pan before preparing the cornbread. Remove the ham hocks from the pan and set aside.)
In the large pot add a bit more olive oil. Sauté the onions until translucent. Add the diced carrots and celery and sauté. Add the herbs. (If you want to add other herbs, like rosemary or sage, that’s fine. But use a light touch with sage and rosemary. You can always add more if you like later.) Add garlic and sauté, being careful to not let it burn. Confession: At this point I add a glug of white wine, if I happen to have some in the fridge, and stir it into the sauteed vegetables and herbs. Add the chicken broth. Let simmer a few minutes.
Add the drained soaked beans, and allow to simmer on low for about 1 and a half to 2 hours, stirring periodically to prevent scorching. At about the one hour mark add the ham hocks and allow the soup to simmer some more. Test to ensure beans are to your desired degree of tenderness. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Adjust with more water or herbs, if necessary. Just before serving add the cream, if desired, or a few tablespoons of butter, and allow to simmer for a few minutes more.
Enjoy!
This food story was sponsored by the Grocery Outlet Bargain Markets on Eureka Way and Churn Creek Road in Redding.
Below are some of the additional ingredients purchased at the West Redding Grocery Outlet Bargain Market for today’s recipes.
###
If you appreciate journalist Doni Chamberlain’s cooking columns, as well as her feature stories and commentaries, please consider supporting A News Cafe with a sustaining subscription of any amount your heart desires. Thank you!
