Brown Beans (Grandma Branhams way)

  

Sort a pound of pinto beans removing all the split beans as well as any little rocks that may have been in the bag.

Soak the beans over night in a stock pot of water.
This is the type of bean that Grandma would remove. She would throw that out!
Rinse the old water that the beans have been soaking in all night OFF!  Pour in fresh  new water - a couple inches above the bean line.

Cut the top off of a bell pepper just to open up the flavor.  Place the entire pepper, seeds and all still attached inside the stock pot of beans.
Put in a ham hock, and season with lots of salt and pepper!
Also add a couple teaspoons of baking soda. (it helps trust me)









Boil the beans good for an hour or so, and then simmer all afternoon.  Serve them with Jiffy Cornbread Mix and Fried Potatoes and Onions and you have yourself a meal!