Ham And Beans - cooking recipe

Ingredients

2 1/2 lbs dried pink beans or 2 1/2 lbs pinto beans
2 tablespoons bacon fat (or can use veg. oil)
ham bone (or ham hocks)
2 jalapenos, chopped (have used 2T of canned)
1 large onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped (I use 5 cloves)
2 -4 cups chicken broth
1 bay leaf, broken in half
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Soak beans overnight or cover with water and bring to boil and simmer for 2 minutes.
Turn off heat and let stand for one hour. Then drain off all liquid.
Melt bacon fat in a 5 quart pot and add chiles, onions, garlic, oregano and cumin. Saute til soft about 5 minutes.
Add drained beans, broth, water can be used instead of the broth, but I use 4c broth, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer til beans are tender or about 2 hours.
After cooking, add salt and cayenne and remove the bay leaf. More salt can be added according to your taste.