Step 1

Soak beans in hot water: Pour boiling water over the black beans and let them sit while you prepare the rest of the stew.

Step 2

Brown the pork shoulder: Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and brown the pork shoulder. When the meat has browned, remove the meat from the pot, set aside.

Step 3

Brown the onions, add garlic: Add the onions to the pot. Brown them, stirring occasionally, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.Sprinkle a little salt over the onions and add the garlic. Stir well and sauté 2 more minutes.

Step 4

Add meat, bay leaves, cover with water, simmer: Add back the pork shoulder, and the other meats and add enough water to cover. Add the bay leaves, cover and bring to a simmer. Cook gently for 1 hour.

Step 5

Add soaked black beans, simmer: Drain the black beans from their soaking liquid and add them to the stew. Simmer gently, covered, until the beans are tender, about an hour and a half.

Step 6

Add tomatoes and simmer: Add the tomatoes, stir well and taste for salt, adding if it's needed. Simmer this, uncovered, until the meat begins to fall off the ham hock, which will probably take 2-3 hours.Serve with white rice and hot sauce. A classic side dish would be sautéed collard greens.