$50 Beans
1 (10 pound) smoked bone-in ham
1/3 cup coarsely-ground black pepper
3 pounds pinto beans, soaked overnight
2 onions, chopped
12 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon dried epazote (Mexican Tea)
Salt, to taste

Thoroughly rub down ham with pepper, massaging it into every pore. Let
the ham sit for at least 1 hour, or refrigerate it overnight. Place
ham in a large stockpot. Fill the pot with water to cover the ham by
several inches. Let the pot simmer over low heat about half a day,
covered, until the meat literally falls apart.

Remove the ham and bone, and reserve meat for another use. Add the
pintos and remaining ingredients, except salt, to the broth. Barely
simmer the beans for 3 to 4 hours, stirring them occasionally, until
they are quite soft but still hold their shape. Add a little more
water if the beans begin to look dry. Stir in the salt in the last few
minutes of the cooking time. The pintos can be kept warm for another
hour, covered, over very low heat. Serve the beans hot.

Serves 12.