Bacon hocks, off-cuts from the bacon curing process, are often sold at a much cheaper price than ham hocks. They impart a deep, smoky, bacony flavour to any dish and under the leather-like skin there's plenty of meat, making them a good buy.

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried borlotti beans
• 1 cup dried baby lima beans
• 3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 2 red onions, peeled and diced
• 2-3 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1-2 teaspoons dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried mixed herbs
• 1 litre tomato juice
• 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock or water
• 2 bacon hocks
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley or basil

Method

1. Soak the borlotti and lima beans in plenty of cold water overnight. You will need 3-4 times the amount of water to beans.
2. Turn the slow cooker on to low to pre-warm while gathering and preparing the ingredients.
3. Drain the beans and transfer to the pre-warmed slow cooker. Add the carrots, red onions, garlic, basil, mixed herbs, tomato juice and stock or water. Stir well to mix evenly. Place the bacon hocks on top and cover with the lid.
4. Cook on low for 12-13 hours or on high for 8-9 hours. It will take this long to soften the beans as the acidity of the tomato juice will slow the cooking time of the beans considerably.
5. Lift the bacon hocks from the slow cooker and allow to cool. Remove and discard the skin. Pull the meat from the bones and break into chunky pieces. Return to the slow cooker. Season with pepper if wished.

Cooks Tips

- When cooking with bacon, always taste the dish before seasoning with salt and bacon can often provide sufficient salt. Variations: - Vary the beans in this dish to create different textures and flavours. - Use a ham bone - especially useful for using up the leftover ham bone from Christmas or other celebrations.