Iconic Southern Plates: Appalachia's Soup Beans, Cornbread, and

Name: Iconic Southern Plates: Appalachia's Soup Beans, Cornbread, and
Cuisine: American, Southern
Ingredients: 1 pound dried pinto beans; 1 ½ teaspoons Benton's country ham or bacon fat; 8 ounces streaked meat (sliced fatback), diced; 1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped; 2 fresh bay leaves; 1 tablespoon ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon dried turmeric; 1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt; 2 ½ tablespoons Crystal Hot Sauce; 2 ½ tablespoons rendered Benton's country ham or bacon fat; 1 ½ teaspoons butter; 2 cups freshly stone-ground white cornmeal; ¼ teaspoon baking soda; ½ teaspoon baking powder; 1 large egg; 1 ¾ cups good buttermilk, well-shaken; Makes 6 pints; 3 medium-size green tomatoes, cored and finely chopped; 1 medium-size green cabbage, cored and finely chopped; 8 ounces fresh Espelette peppers, finely chopped; 8 ounces hot banana peppers, finely chopped; 8 ounces mild banana peppers, finely chopped; 1 pound green bell peppers, cored and finely diced; Kernels from 4 freshly shucked ears of Silver Queen corn; 2 medium-size Vidalia onions, finely diced; ¼ cup kosher salt; 1 pint cider vinegar; 1 cup water; 2 cups sugar; ¾ cup sorghum syrup

13 steps

North Carolinian writer Sheri Castle and Virginia chef Travis Milton explore the history and affection behind this mountain country specialty. Dive into a bowl of soup beans with a side of Sheri's homemade cornbread and Travis' spicy, sweet and sour chow chow.

Updated at: Tue, 22 Aug 2023 19:32:07 GMT

Ingredients

0 servings

1 pounddried pinto beans

1 ½ teaspoonscountry ham

or bacon fat

8 ouncesstreaked meat

sliced fatback, diced

1Vidalia onion

large, or other sweet, chopped

2fresh bay leaves

1 tablespoonground black pepper

1 teaspoondried turmeric

1 ½ teaspoonskosher salt

2 ½ tablespoonsHot Sauce

2 ½ tablespoonsham

rendered, or bacon fat

1 ½ teaspoonsbutter

2 cupswhite cornmeal

freshly stone-ground

¼ teaspoonbaking soda

½ teaspoonbaking powder

1egg

large

1 ¾ cupsbuttermilk

good, well-shaken

6 pintsMakes

3green tomatoes

medium-size, cored and finely chopped

1green cabbage

medium-size, cored and finely chopped

8 ouncesfresh Espelette peppers

finely chopped

8 ouncesbanana peppers

hot, finely chopped

8 ouncesbanana peppers

mild, finely chopped

1 poundgreen bell peppers

cored and finely diced

4 earscorn

Kernels from, freshly shucked

2Vidalia onions

medium-size, finely diced

¼ cupkosher salt

1 pintcider vinegar

1 cupwater

2 cupssugar

¾ cupsorghum syrup

6garlic cloves

thinly sliced

2 tablespoonshorseradish

freshly grated

1 ½ teaspoonsyellow mustard seed

1 ½ teaspoonsground turmeric

¾ teaspooncelery seed

½ teaspoonyellow mustard

prepared

2 ouncesfresh chervil

2 ouncesfresh thyme

1fresh bay leaf

2 ¼ teaspoonswhole black peppercorns

Instructions

Step 1

Makes 6 servings

Step 2

1. Pick through the beans to discard any chaff, funky ones, or pebbles, and then rinse them. Place in a large bowl and add enough water to cover to a depth of 3 inches. Let stand overnight, and then drain.

Step 3

2. Heat the ham fat in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the streaked meat and cook, stirring occasionally, until it renders, browns, and begins to crisp, about 10 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to drain on paper towels.

Step 4

3. Add the onion to the pot and stir to coat in the fat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 5 minutes.

Step 5

4. Stir in the beans, and pour in water to cover by a depth of 1 inch. Stir in the bay leaves, pepper, turmeric, salt, and hot sauce. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, partially cover the pot, and cook the beans at a gentle simmer until tender and creamy, about 1 hour. Begin checking for doneness every 5 minutes after they have cooked for 45 minutes.

Step 6

5. Discard the bay leaves, stir in the rendered meat, and check the seasoning. Serve soon, or cool, cover, and refrigerate for up to four days. The beans get softer and their liquid more creamy each time they are heated, which many people prefer.

Step 7

1. Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the fat in a 9-inch cast-iron skillet and heat in the oven for 13 minutes or until the fat is shimmering hot, almost smoking hot. Remove the skillet from the oven, reduce the oven temperature to 375°F, and leave the oven door open to help it cool down.

Step 8

2. Add the butter to the hot pan, and when melted, scrape in the batter and smooth the top. Bake 35 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately.

Step 9

1. Toss the first 8 with the salt in a large bowl and refrigerate overnight. Drain well and pour into a large pot.

Step 10

2. Stir in the vinegar, water, sugar, sorghum, garlic, horseradish, mustard seed, turmeric, celery seed, and prepared mustard.

Step 11

3. Place the chervil, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorns in a square of cheesecloth and tie with a piece of kitchen string to form a sachet, and add it to the pot.

Step 12

4. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 40 minutes or until the mixture is thick and syrupy. Discard the sachet.

Step 13

5. Pack hot chow chow into hot, sterilized jars. Run a wooden skewer around the inside of the jar to release any air bubbles, and cover tightly. Store refrigerated for up to three months. For longer shelf-stable storage, close the jars with new, sterilized lids and rings tightening fingertip tight, and process in a boiling water bath canner (212° F) for 10 minutes. Promptly refrigerate any jars that do not seal.