Ingredients
1pound dried black beans1 ham hock5 cups chicken stock1½ cups chopped onion¾ cup chopped red pepper3garlic cloves, peeled and chopped1½ tablespoons oregano¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper1 bay leaf½ teaspoon kosher salt½ tablespoon red wine vinegar3 tablespoons dry sherry
Preparation
Sort beans and pick out any stones or bits of dirt. Soak beans overnight (8 hours or more) in water to cover by 3 inches. Drain and rinse. Place beans in ceramic pot of the Cuisinart® Slow Cooker with ham hock, chicken stock, chopped onion, red pepper, garlic, oregano, cayenne and bay leaf. Cover and press the on/off button to turn the unit on. Set time to 3 hours and press High; once slow cooker switches to Warm, set timer for 6 hours and press Simmer. Slow cooker will automatically switch to Warm when cooking time has elapsed. Remove and discard bay leaf. Remove ham hock; let cool. When cool enough to handle, remove meat, chop and reserve. Stir in salt. Use a potato masher or Cuisinart® Hand Blender on Low speed with a gentle up-and-down motion to mash/purée beans.*You may partially or totally purée the soup. Stir in reserved ham, vinegar and sherry.
