Simple and Sublime Hambone Soup

Our meaty adventure this week was Hambone soup. I saw this recipe posted by my friend Shannon from the New York Times. It sounded so simple that I had to try it.Here were my modifications: I didn't have a hambone, so I used a smoked ham hock from Whole Foods. The ham hock (cost about $3) is around the ankle of the pig as I was informed. I really have to say that the folks in the meat department at the Whole Foods in Chapel Hill are my new best friends. Infinitely helpful and friendly, these folks love to talk meat. Just ask for something out of the ordinary and they jump to figure out what will work. Oops! I digress. So here's what a ham hock looks like:
Ok, I skipped the bacon (I know, tragic), but I knew I would get plenty of meaty flavor off the ham hock. Also, I used a crockpot instead of cooking it on the stovetop and put everything in except the kale and cooked it overnight on low. The ham hock pretty much disintegrated all the meaty goodness into the soup. I transferred it to a pot around 4pm and drove it over to my parent's for dinner there. I plopped in the kale and let it simmer for 20 minutes. Done.

One other note: one of my biggest challenges is finding the time to cook real food. I work a lot of nights and weekends and don't really have the time especially during the week to cook. The crockpot has solved all that as I can put the recipe on in the morning and all the work is already done. Love that crockpot for soups, stews and slow cooking meats.

I also whipped up some of my favorite gluten free cornbread and it was the perfect match for the thick and hearty soup. And of course got the thumbs up from Eric and everyone else.
Costs on this meal: $3 for the ham hock, $12 for the veggies/beans from Whole Foods, and $6 for the buttermilk and cornmeal for the cornbread. All told, $21 for a great meal for four and leftovers for all us. This soup is easy and inexpensive and can feed a crowd. Cheers!