(((the famous....))) Senate Bean Soup
does not get more simple:
navy beans
ham hock
water
simmer till beans tender
remove ham hock, strip meat, return meat to soup, (toss bones . . or other . . .)
salt&pepper to taste
simmer to consistency desired.
as may be obvious . . . how well this goes is highly dependent on the ham hock.
cured&smoked worked for me, but not all hocks are smoked&cured equally.
methinks it better as a soup starter and not 'your whole dinner' dish . . .
tasty, not very exciting tho.