Smokey White Bean and Ham Soup

Smokey White Bean and Ham Soup

Ingredients:

1 1/2 tbsp canola oil

1 yellow onion, diced

1 carrot, diced

2 stalks celery, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 sprig rosemary

1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped

1 bay leaf

1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1 lb dried small white beans, rinsed and picked through

1 lb ham steak, fat removed then diced

1 smoked ham hock

10 cups of water

kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper


Directions:


Place a large pot over medium heat. Add oil to pot. Once the oil is hot, add diced onions, carrots, and celery to the pot. Stir. Saute over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions are translucent and the carrots are softened.
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Add the dried white beans, garlic, bay leaf, dried oregano & basil to the pot. Stir and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the ham hock, diced ham, parsley and rosemary sprig to the pot. Cover the ingredients with about 8 cups of water. Add 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper. Stir.

Raise heat to high and bring soup to a boil. Once you reach a boil, reduce heat to medium low. Simmer soup over medium low heat for 2 - 2 1/2 hours until the beans are tender. If soup starts to get too thick, add a bit more water.

Once beans are soft, remove the ham hock and rosemary sprig. Taste then season as necessary with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Soup can be made a day in advance and refrigerated until ready to serve.

Queso Dip

Queso Dip

Ingredients:

1/2 small yellow onion, finely diced

2 cloves of garlic minced into a paste

1 cup Monterrey jack, shredded

1/2 cup sharp cheddar, shredded

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon cumin

pinch cayenne

tbsp butter

tbsp flour

1/4 cup chopped pickled jalapenos

2 tbsp jalapeno juice

splash of beer

Salt and pepper


Directions:


First dice onion, mince garlic, and chop jalapenos. Place one mid-sized sauce-pan on the stove for later and one small sauce-pan on a burner over low to medium-low heat. Add 1 tbs oil to the small sauce-pan, preheat, then add onion. Saute until onion is translucent, do not caramelize. Add garlic to sauce-pan with onions, saute© for a minute or until garlic has softened. Add milk, heavy cream and beer to the onions and garlic and raise the heat to medium. Stir frequently until just under boiling. Do not allow it to come to a boil.

Next, turn mid-sized sauce pan on, to a medium heat. Make a roux by: adding 1 tbsp of butter to sauce-pan, allow to melt but do not allow the butter to brown. Add one tbsp of flour to the melted butter and stir frequently for 30 seconds to a minute, just to cook the flour. You do not want the roux to take on any color. Slowly add small amounts of the hot milk to the roux, stirring until smooth each time to prevent clumping.

Once the milk has completely been added to the roux, add 2 tbsp jalapeno juice, and chopped jalapenos, cumin, and cayenne, stir to combine. Stir frequently until the milk is nearly up to a boil, then remove from heat and add Monterrey jack and cheddar. Stir, then taste. Adjust flavor as necessary with salt, pepper, and more cheese if you desire. Serve warm with tortilla chips.