Traditional Ham and Bean Soup

Make your stock by adding ham bone, a few big chunks of ham, one full onion, 3 smashed cloves of garlic, a couple of carrots, 2 bay leaves, and 2 ribs of celery to a pot. Add other fresh herbs if available. Fill with water until covering most of the ham bone. Bring pot to a boil for about 10 minutes, then bring down to a simmer. Let simmer and reduce a medium-low heat for 3-4 hours skimming off surface fat as needed. Carefully strain the stock into a bowl removing all of the solid pieces and set stock in the refrigerator. Lay out your beans on a baking sheet and check them for rocks and discolored pieces. Rinse beans and add to pot with 2 smashed cloves of garlic, 2 bay leaves, 1 tsp salt, and 1 tbs spicy Dan-O’s Seasoning. Add 2 cups of water per cup of beans, and leave to refrigerate for 6-12 hours. Remove beans from the refrigerator, strain, and rinse. Set to the side. Gently heat your stock if it has become gel-like (from the fridge) and skim off the white fat cap. Add in optional fresh veggies, a tbs or two of Dan-O’s. Ideally, you should have about 8 cups of stock. If you have less than 8, use water or chicken stock for the rest. Add your beans to the stock and mix well. Bring to a low boil for about 30 minutes, then bring down to a simmer on medium-low heat. Allow to cook for another hour. Finely chop 1 whole onion, one deseeded jalapeno, and mince 2 cloves of garlic. Saute in a medium-heated pan until they soften up. Add this onion, jalapeno, and garlic to your beans. Chop up your 2 cups of ham (if you haven’t already), and add to the mix. Turn heat down to low, and add about half a cup to a full cup of water if needed. Let cook for another hour. Whip up a quick roux by heating a quarter stick of butter in a pan, and whisking in 2 tbs of flour. Do not let roux burn or brown. Add roux to the soup mix and stir in. Allow soup to cook on low heat for another 30 mins with the roux to an hour until beans reach your desired consistency. Salt, pepper, and Dan-O’s to taste. Let cool down to eating temp and serve with cornbread. Refrigerate any leftovers!