Butter Beans with Ham Hocks

Butter Beans with Ham Hocks

Ingredients:
1 meaty ham bone or 3 large ham hocks
3 cups water
1.5 lbs butter beans (fresh or (2) 16oz cans drained)
(can also substitute with Lima Beans)
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening -- solid
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Put the ham bone and water in a large sauce pan. Cover and heat to boiling.
Reduce the heat to simmering and cook, covered for 45 minutes.
Remove the ham bone from the sauce pan. Remove the meat from the bone,
finely shredding it and return both meat and bone to pan.
Wash the butter beans and add them to the saucepan. Heat to simmering,
stir in the remaining ingredients, and simmer until the beans are tender
(approx 25 mins or less for canned beans)
Discard the ham bone and serve the beans hot.

Recipe from the Kitchen of Alicia Chiola