Beans with Pork Skin and Smoked Ham Hock
Ingredients: beans, pork rind, smoked pork hock, carrot, salt, pepper, tomato paste, toasted bread.
To prepare a delicious and comforting dish, we start with the pork rind and smoked hock, ingredients that offer a distinct flavor. In a pressure cooker, we add the pork rind, carefully cleaned of fat and meat, along with the fatty and outer part of the smoked hock, choosing a hock that has been precooked and deboned, so we achieve a perfect texture. We let it boil for a few minutes, then drain the water, but do not throw it away, as it will be used later to intensify the flavors.
After draining the water, we turn our attention to the delicious cracklings. The fat and meat on the pork rind are cooked until crispy, thus forming a tasty base for our dish. In the end, we also add the remaining meat from the smoked hock, which will bring an extra flavor.
In a pan, we start sautéing the carrot cut into thin slices in a tablespoon of oil; in my case, I used the fat left from the cracklings, bringing an intense and rich flavor. Once the carrot becomes slightly translucent, we add the pork rind cut into strips and the deboned smoked hock. These ingredients will be allowed to fry together to blend the flavors.
After a few minutes, it's time to add the beans, which can be boiled and drained or, in my case, from a can, well washed of liquid. We mix everything carefully and season with salt and pepper to taste. Now, to give an extra flavor, we add a rich tomato paste, which will give a pleasant taste and a vibrant color to the dish.
Finally, we let everything simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally. If the dish becomes too dry, we add a little of the reserved water in which the beans were boiled or, in my case, the water in which the pork rind and hock were boiled. This will enrich the taste and ensure a creamy consistency of the food. We let it simmer slowly until all the flavors blend perfectly, and the dish becomes a true feast for the taste buds. This dish is ideal for cool days, having the ability to warm the soul and bring joy in every bite.
