| 1 | Pick over beans for debris; rinse well and drain. |
| 2 | Place in a 4 quart pot and add water to cover. |
| 3 | Bring to a boil, simmer 3 minutes. |
| 4 | Remove from heat, cover, and let soak for at least 4 hours. |
| 5 | Pour off water. |
| 6 | Add 5 cups fresh water, or just enough to cover beans. |
| 7 | Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to maintain a gentle bubbling. |
| 8 | Add ham bone, onion and garlic. |
| 9 | Partially cover (a whisper of steam should escape). |
| 10 | Cook 2 ?to 3 hours, or until beans are not sticking; give them a stir. |
| 11 | Keep a kettle with hot water on stove -- if cooking liquid drops below the level of the beans, add no more than ?cup water. |
| 12 | When beans are tender, add chile powder, salt and pepper. |
| 13 | Simmer 30 minutes longer. |
| 14 | Scoop out 2 cups beans with a little cooking liquid. |
| 15 | Roughly puree in blender on low speed. |
| 16 | Stir puree back into beans and cook for a few minutes, stirring, until beans have thickened. |
| 17 | Per serving: 200 calories, 12 g protein, 38 g carbohydrate, 1 g fat, 4 mg sodium, 16 g fiber, no cholesterol. |
