Vent: spent 4 weeks trying to nail my grandma's rice and beans recipe, and the answer was a 79 cent bag of ham hocks

Kevin Jackson · 2026-10-02T01:45:04.208337+00:00

I grew up eating rice and beans at my grandma's place in Gary, Indiana, and I figured I could copy it easy since it's just beans, rice, and spices, but after a solid month of bland pots I finally called my aunt and she laughed and said grandma always threw in a cheap smoked ham hock from the Save-A-Lot and let it simmer low for 2 hours. Took me 4 weeks of trying to fix it with fancy seasonings before I admitted the secret was a 79 cent piece of meat and patience. Anybody else got a cheap ingredient that does all the heavy lifting in a meal?

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Vent: spent 4 weeks trying to nail my grandma's rice and beans recipe, and the answer was a 79 cent bag of ham hocks | Cheap Eats Showdown - Guest Forum