Smoky, meaty, warming, and filling with a depth of Cajun spice, my White Beans infused with a flavor-packed hambone is comfort in a bowl.
Flavored with ham and seasoned with Cajun spice, these White Beans are comfort in a bowl. (All photos credit: George Graham)
There are times that my sole purpose for baking a whole bone-in ham is for the hambone. While I don’t profess that you go to that extreme, I do expect that the next time you serve a baked ham, you will save the bone and meat trimmings for this recipe. Just toss them in the freezer and wait for an opportunity to cozy up to this dish.
You see, there is nothing better to season a pot of beans than a hambone with lots of meat and fat still clinging to the bone. As it cooks, the hambone releases its flavor, and the bits and pieces fall from the bone to infuse the stock. It is glorious.
This soul-satisfying dish is a cinch when cooked in an Instant Pot. Like many, I was reluctant to embrace this cooking wonder at first. But as I heard from more and more followers of Acadiana Table, I began to realize that pressure cooking has been around for generations, and new cooking appliances should always be explored. For me, the Instant Pot is not as much about cooking fast, but rather cooking with precision, consistency, and inattention. The time savings is an added plus, and the high pressure locks in flavor. Nothing is lost with this recipe cooked under pressure; the seasoned hambone releases its flavor into the beans and infuses the stock with smoke. And I like the no-fuss, unattended cooking method so that I can get on with other kitchen duties.
Whether you’ve joined the pressure-cooker crowd or not, this recipe can be adapted to stovetop or slow cooker. Give it a try.
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- ½ cup chopped green onion tops
- 1 cup diced celery
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ cup diced carrots
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
- I pound dried white beans
- 6 cups chicken stock
- 1 hambone
- 1 cup chopped ham timmings
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon dried basil
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon Acadiana Table Cajun Seasoning Blend, see recipe here
- Dash of hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- In the Instant Pot set to SAUTE (See your manufacturer's guide for detailed instructions on how to use your Instant Pot), add the oil along with the onions and celery. Cook until the onions turn translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic, carrots, parsley, and rosemary, and cook for 2 minutes more.
- Add the dried beans and just enough of the chicken stock to cover the beans, about 6 cups. Add the hambone and ham trimmings.
- Add the bay leaves, basil, garlic powder, white pepper, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, salt, and pepper.
- Close the lid and turn the valve from VENT to SEAL. Set to PRESSURE COOK on HIGH and set TIMER to 1 hour.
- Once finished cooking, wait until the natural release cycle is complete, about 12 minutes. (Note: If in a rush, follow the manufacturer’s guide for QUICK RELEASE.)
- Open the Instant Pot and stir. Remove the hambone and bay leaves. Serve in bowls and top with garlic croutons.
Perfect comfort food.
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MOUTH-WATERING, HEALTHY, but needs mo’ GARLIC!
Hey Bobbi – Your tastebuds and mine are much alike; you can never have too much garlic. All the best.
Classic and well done recipe using the Instant Pot! The garlic croutons make great toppers.
I might add 1/2 jar of my Zydeco Creole Trinity Salsa (since it contains no vinegar) to give a hint of unique.
Hey Michelle – Good idea. I love your salsa, and I will try adding it next time. I urge everyone to pick up a jar or two of Michelle’s Zydeco Salsa at various South Louisiana locations (I buy it at Drug Emporium). It is a delicious salsa, and it is a Louisiana company.
Since I was in a soup mood, I made this recipe along with a baked potato soup I’ve been making for years. My son, Jacques Fruge’ saved the ham bone which had tons of meat still on it. I served it alongside hot cornbread, and it was so delicious. I added a bit of tasso I get from Teet’s in Ville Platte also. Thanks again for a great meal.
Phyllis – Thanks for the great review. Teet’s in Ville Platte is one of my favorite rural Cajun grocers; I buy my smoked ponce there. All the best.
I just can’t work the pot right, but I must have this recipe. I will probably try it in my Instant Pot although it doesn’t like me. The recipe looks delicious and easy.
Lisa – The Instant Pot is quite easy if you go to one of hundreds of online video tutorials like this one. Once you learn the basic rules, you’ve got it. All the best.
George. Are the white beans in your recipe dried beans ?
Hey Joseph – Great question, and I am remiss in not saying they are dried beans. I have changed the recipe to clarify this. You’re the best. Thanks.
Ham Bones or Ham Hocks. I use my Pressure cooker to cook either, and add the celery and onions plus seasonings. As I generally cook for large crowds, I cook the beans and carrots later in a large pot. I soak overnight and rinse the beans and use chicken bone broth to cover by an inch. I use all of the oil and fluids from the Instant Pot and cook until the beans soften. I mash a cup at a time of the beans until the soup is hearty. I have the butcher cut the hocks into three and leave them in the soup. The lucky diners get them full of meat and tender fats to suck off the bones.
And for ardent afficionados of boudin go to boudinlinks.com. Dr. C who hosts Lafayette’s Boudin and Bacon Cookoff every year will give you a taste of all that is Cajun.
Hey Thomas – Great detailed comment, and your method is spot on. As for Dr. Robert Carriker, which I call the Oracle of Boudin, he is the caretaker of the website you mention and the resident expert on everything boudin. Plan your travels along Southwest Louisiana’s Boudin Trail by following his list of A+-rated links. You can’t go wrong!