Day 129 - Frijoles Charros and a Week of Ham

Alright, friends, this week we have a theme.  Drum roll please!  This week's theme is....One Ham Bone, Four Lunches!  This involves one of my favorite thrifty secrets.  Honey Baked Ham is a big deal down here in the south, but those hams cost anywhere from $6-$12 a pound, which is absurd.  Who has money for that?  Well, lots of people, apparently.  But not me!  However...you can buy a ham bone, with plenty of meat on it, for $2.50 a pound.  So, I got a beautiful ham bone for only $5.95, sliced the meat off, and will feed myself lunches from it all week!

Observe:

Now, this is about a 2.5 lb ham bone.  You could get a much bigger ham to feed more people, but even as it is...look at all that ham!  Notice I've got a lot of ham left over on the bone, too.  That will come in handy!  I've also managed to get some ham slices and ham bits off the bone, which will show up next week.

Now, onto today's lunch!

Frijoles Charros, Rice, Avocado, Collard Greens, Red Plum

So, dinner last night and lunch today came from the ham bone itself.  I made frijoles charros in the slow cooker, and wow they were good.  Frijoles charros basically translates to "cowboy beans," and it's essentially a southwestern version of what we call baked beans in the south.  Or, at least that's how I see it. Pork, tomatoes, and chilies are slow cooked with pinto beans in the original varieties, so I just added my own little spin to a basic.  This was great served over rice last night, and today I had them with rice, avocado, collards wilted in chili oil, and a red plum.  So good.  I highly recommend this for a thrifty and filling hot meal!

Frijoles Charros in the Slow Cooker

1 cup dried pinto beans
1 cup dried kidney beans
1 large ham bone with some ham attached
1 can Rotel
12 oz beer (I used Corona, but any kind is fine)
12 oz water

Combine all ingredients in a 4 quart crock pot.  If you're ham bone isn't entirely covered in liquid, that's ok!  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Stir well and remove bone and any little bits of ligament or bone.  Serve hot over rice and enjoy!