Dick'S Special Ham Hocks And Lima Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

6 ham hocks
3 large onions, chopped
1 c. chopped celery with leaves
1 large bag dried lima beans (large)
1 Tbsp. Lawry's seasoned salt
1 Tbsp. Mrs. Dash extra spicy salt free seasoning
1/4 tsp. pepper

Preparation

In a large pot, place the ham hocks and cover with 2 inches of water.
Cook at low heat for 3 to 5 hours.
Keep a watch to make sure the water doesn't boil off; when the meat will come off the bones, remove the ham hocks and let them cool.
Be sure and save the juice the ham hocks were cooked in.
Wash the dry lima beans and place them in a large cooking pot.
Pour the juice from the cooked ham hocks over the lima beans and cover them with 2 inches of juice.
Bring to a boil and turn down and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes.
Watch to be sure they are covered with the juice.
As they swell, you will need to add more juice.
Remove from heat and let them stand.
While they stand, remove the meat from the bones and cut the meat and rind into small pieces.
After the lima beans have set for 1 hour, add the diced onions and celery, seasoned salt, Mrs. Dash and the pepper and the cut up pieces of ham hock. Add more of the juice from the ham hocks or, if no more is available, add water to cover the lima beans with 2 inches of liquid.
Bring to a boil and turn down to simmer for about 2 to 3 hours.
You can tell when they are done by testing a lima bean. Towards the end of the cooking cycle, only allow the juice to cover the lima beans.