Bacon bone soup has to be one of the nicest winter soups. Well, pumpkin is a close second. But nothing really beats the aroma of onions and bacon steaming up the windows on a cold and rainy Sunday morning. It's so easy! Pop a bacon hock in the biggest saucepan half full of water (say two litres?), three chopped onions, a couple of handfuls of pearl barley, three sliced carrots, some leftover pumpkin and spuds, and simmer for four hours or so. You can take the bone out and cut the meat into chunks if you like. No salt usually needed, there's plenty in the bacon. (If you want to leave it overnight to cool and skim the fat off in the morning, that's a good idea.) At the last minute I like to add a cup of frozen peas. It just needs to be returned to the boil to cook them. Add some hot buttered toast, and here they come in to wash their hands after raking up the leaves.
The photo is great and the description enlightening, but "Bacon Bone Soup"?? I've never heard of a bacon bone (bacon comes from the abdomen of the pig, I think) or a bacon hock. But a ham hock, sure. Is what we call a ham hock (Fr., jambon) referred to as a bacon hock in your fair land?
ReplyDeleteOn an only partially related note, I have had many beards over the years and have also been clean-shaven for long periods. Just last week I started a goatee. Mrs. RWP says other men start growing their beards in the fall and winter but remove them for the warmer weather, and it just occurred to me, after all these years, that perhaps I should have lived in the Southern Hemisphere. I never made the connection before, so it must have something to do with reading your lovely blog. What do you think?
Well, Robert, a hambone would do just as well. This one had the label 'bacon hock' on it, and I liked the alliteration, so that's what I called it. Although 'Bacon Bone Broth' sounds even better, now I come to think of it.
ReplyDeleteI'd be honoured to think that my blog has such 'strength' that it could make men in the northern hemisphere grow their beards in the wrong season.
Unusual thought. I can see the headlines:
"BACON BONE BROTH BLOG BOOSTS BOB'S BEARD"
I was just going to comment that I'd never made a meat soup (and I make LOTS of soup) but this looks relly tasty. Given the cold summer we are having I think I might look out for a bacon bone when I shop today.
ReplyDeleteI should add an apology for such a mundane and boring comment. Rather put to shame by the preceding ones. But as I've never shaved my beard off in about 38 years I don't think I have anything more interesting to offer.
This was one of my mother's favourite soups. I am shocked at how pricey bacon hocks have become, now that this is so 'fashionable'!
ReplyDeleteGB : Savoury Soup stimulates sempiternal shaggy (but) stylish spirit.
ReplyDeleteMeggie, it is expensive to buy hocks now! I wish fillet steak would compensate by becoming less trendy but that may be too much to ask for.
No wonder I didn't remember this post Katherine. But I did go and buy a hock and make the soup. Oddly enough although I enjoyed eating it I didn't really enjoy making it so decided that I'd leave making meat based soups to others as a rule although I have made a chicken soup since.
ReplyDelete