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Smoked ham with beans served with fresh parsley
Hearty smoked ham and bean stew with fresh parsley

Smoked ham with beans

Author: Flavelo
Recipes Main Courses
The pairing of smoked meat and legumes is one of the most stable marriages in gastronomy. The smoky, salty character of the ham deepens the earthy taste of the beans, while the collagenous parts naturally thicken the sauce. This isn't a quick dinner, but the ancient Hungarian equivalent of the 'slow food' movement.
🕒 Prep Time 30 mins
🍳 Cook Time 1 hr 30 mins
⌛ Total Time 2 hrs
🍽️ Servings 4 servings
🔥 Calories 580 kcal
🌍 Cuisine Hungarian

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

  • Large pot or cauldron
  • Chopping board

Allergen Information

⚠️ Celery

Instructions

1 ✓

Soak the dried beans in plenty of cold water the night before (for at least 8-10 hours). Drain before cooking.

Tip: During soaking, the bean rehydrates, drastically reducing cooking time and helping to release bloating-causing carbohydrates.
2 ✓

Dice the onion, carrot, celery, and ham into approx. equal sizes.

Tip: Equal pieces (mirepoix cut) ensure everything cooks at the same time.
3 ✓

Sauté the onion in the fat, then add garlic, carrot, and celery. Sweat for 4-5 minutes.

Tip: Pre-frying the vegetables caramelises the sugars in them, giving a deeper flavour to the dish.
4 ✓

Stir in the tomato purée and smoked paprika, fry for half a minute until fragrant.

Tip: Tomato purée needs to be fried off to lose its raw, sour taste and become sweet.
5 ✓

Add the beans, ham, and bay leaves. Pour over the water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer covered until the beans are butter-soft (approx. 60-90 minutes).

Tip: Only let the water simmer gently, don't boil vigorously, as the beans might burst (thermal shock).
6 ✓

At the end, taste and only then add salt and pepper. Sprinkle with fresh parsley when serving.

Tip: Beans soften harder in an acidic environment (tomato), but since we fried the tomato and the purée is concentrated, it interferes less, but definitely leave salt for the end.

Recipe FAQ

The beans remained hard.
Either you didn't soak them enough, or you added salt/tomato too soon. Acidic environments and salt toughen the bean skin (inhibiting pectin breakdown). Salt only at the end!
It became too salty.
Smoked ham is salty to begin with. Always taste before adding extra salt. If you messed up, cook a potato in it, it will absorb some of the salt.

Ingredients

  • 500 g Smoked ham or gammon (cooked)
  • 400 g Dried white beans (or pinto beans)
  • 2 heads Onions
  • 3 cloves Garlic
  • 2 pcs Carrots
  • 1 stalk Celery stick
  • 2 tbsp Tomato purée
  • 2 pcs Bay leaves
  • 1 tsp Smoked paprika
  • 1 bunch Fresh parsley
  • 1 tsp Salt (only after tasting!)
  • 1 pinch Pepper
  • 2 tbsp Oil or lard
  • 1.5 l Water (or ham cooking liquor)