Butter Beans and Ham

Butter Beans and Ham is loved by Southerners and almost everyone else!

The dish features cooked butter beans—also known as Lima beans—prepared with seasonings, onions, and chunks of ham or ham hock for added flavor.

Butter Beans and Ham

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Butter beans and ham is a classic, hearty dish that combines tender, creamy butter beans with savory ham.

• Author: Linda Jolly
• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 1 hour 13 minutes
• Total Time: 1 hour 23 minutes
• Yield: 12 servings 1x
• Category: Main Dish
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: Southern

Ingredients

Units USM Scale 1x2x3x

1 pound large butter beans or baby lima beans 1 large smoked ham hock or leftover baked ham 1 medium size yellow onion, quartered 3 cloves garlic, peeled 2 bay leaves 1 tablespoon butter 1 medium size yellow onion, finely chopped 1 1/2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce 1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

Instructions

1. Fill a large saucepan halfway with water and stir in the beans, ham hock, quartered onion, garlic and bay leaves. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 1 hour or until the beans are tender.
2. Drain the beans, reserving all of the liquid and discarding the onions, garlic and bay leaves.
3. Transfer the beans to a bowl and the ham hock to a cutting board. Cut the meat into small pieces. Discard the bone.
4. In the same saucepan, melt the butter over moderate heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté for 5 minutes or until tender.
5. Stir in the ham and enough reserved bean liquid to make the beans soupy; bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
6. Stir in the beans, red pepper sauce, salt and black pepper. Heat for 3 minutes.

Notes

Photo credit: jeffreyw on Flickr / CC BY