Hopping John with Pinto or Great Northern Beans
Hopping John with pinto or great northern beans is a Southern pot of beans, rice, and salt pork that costs very little and tastes far richer than its ingredient list suggests. The trick is the pan: you crisp the pork first, then brown the onion in the rendered fat, so the smoky, salty flavor goes into the beans. Soaking overnight and simmering gently keeps the beans intact, and a short final cook ties the rice in.
Instructions
Rinse the dried beans well, put them in a bowl, and cover them with water. Leave them to soak overnight.
In the morning, add 2 cups of fresh water to the beans. Simmer them until they are tender when you bite one.
Fry the diced salt pork in a pan until it is crisp. Lift the pieces out of the fat with a slotted spoon and stir them into the beans.
Cook the chopped onion in the fat left in the pan until it turns brown. Scrape the onion and the fat into the beans.
Add the cooked rice to the pot and stir everything together. Season with salt and pepper to taste, going easy on the salt because the pork is already salty.
Keep cooking for 10 minutes so the flavors meet. Serve straight away while it is hot.
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