Instant Pot Smoked Ham Shank with Heirloom Beans

A rich, brothy, ultra comforting pot of beans for winter nourishment

This is one of those winter dishes that feels like a warm blanket. Just perfect on a cold or rainy day. Simple ingredients, slow depth of flavor, and a broth that tastes richer than you would ever expect from such an uncomplicated list. You can use any beans, but if you want to experience something exquisite and fall in love with beans try the heirloom beans from Rancho Gordo®. They hold their shape beautifully while absorbing all the smoky depth of the ham shanks. The result is comforting, grounding, and deeply nourishing. Below you will find the full recipe followed by a Chinese medicine breakdown of each ingredient with pinyin. This helps you understand not only how to make the dish, but why it strengthens the body in the cold months.

You Need

• One pound Rancho Gordo® beans, do not soak

• One to two smoked ham shanks or hocks

• One medium onion, chopped

• Three to four cloves garlic, minced

• One to two carrots, diced

• One to two celery stalks, diced, optional

• One tablespoon neutral oil

• One to two bay leaves

• One teaspoon smoked paprika or regular paprika

• One half teaspoon black pepper

• One teaspoon salt added only at the end

• Six cups water or broth

• Optional splash of apple cider vinegar or lemon juice

• Optional herbs: thyme, rosemary, oregano

Instructions for Instant Pot Smoked Ham Shank and Beans

Recipe serves 6-8

Sauté the aromatics

Turn Instant Pot to Sauté. Add oil. Add onion, carrot, celery. Cook three to five minutes until softened. Add garlic and paprika, stir thirty seconds.

Add everything else

Add the dry beans. Add the smoked ham shanks. Add bay leaves, pepper, and six cups of water or broth. Do not add salt yet.

Pressure cook

Choose the time based on the bean.

Yellow Eye, Jacob’s Cattle, Caballero: thirty five minutes

Good Mother Stallard, Scarlet Runner: forty minutes

Royal Corona: fifty minutes

Set to High Pressure. Natural Release for twenty minutes before opening.

Finish the pot

Remove the shanks and pull the meat from the bone. Return meat to pot.Taste and add salt. Add a splash of vinegar or lemon juice to brighten the broth.

Optional for thicker beans

Mash one half cup of beans and stir them back in. Or simmer on Sauté for five minutes.

Tips

• Remove 5 beans from different part of your pot to check for doneness, cook 5 minutes longer it beans are too hard.

• Refrigerate overnight and remove fat from the top with a spoon. Some fat is good, but too much is too much.

• Serve with wilted greens and cornbread for a winter feast fit for Kings.

Chinese Medicine Food Energetics and Ingredient Breakdown

Smoked Ham Shank (Zhū Ròu)

Pork is considered nourishing to Yin and Blood. When cooked slowly, especially on the bone, it gently strengthens the Kidneys and helps restore reserves depleted by stress or overwork. The smoked quality adds a light warming influence that supports circulation. This is a good food for people who feel depleted, dry, fatigued, or have a tendency toward low back weakness or low appetite during winter. The collagen and marrow around the shank strengthen sinews and help the body recover from cold weather stiffness.

Yellow Eyed Beans (Dòu)

Beans are mildly sweet and fortifying. They strengthen Spleen Qi and provide steady fuel without overwhelming digestion. Yellow eyed beans in particular become creamy yet light, helping to anchor the body and calm the mind. This food suits those who run cold, feel ungrounded, or fatigue easily during cold months. It is also an excellent food for people who need stable energy and better blood sugar regulation.

Onion (Cōng)

Onion is warming and dispersing. It moves Qi, opens the chest, and improves circulation. It supports the Lung and Spleen while helping the digestive process remain light. Onion is ideal for individuals who experience stagnation, bloating, or sluggish digestion in winter.

Garlic (Suàn)

Garlic is hot, pungent, and strongly moving. It supports the Stomach and Spleen, dispels cold, and encourages digestive fire. It suits people who run cold, have poor appetite, or feel heavy and sluggish.

Carrot (Hú Luó Bo)

Carrots are sweet, warming, and build Spleen Qi. They nourish the Blood and help harmonize digestion. Their natural sweetness brings balance to the dish and supports those who feel depleted, dry, or have difficulty concentrating during winter.

Celery (Qín Cài)

Celery is cooling and gently draining. It helps release mild tension and supports the Liver. Although winter calls for warmth, a small amount of celery helps regulate fluids so the dish does not become too heavy. This balances the richness of the ham. It benefits people who hold tension in the neck and shoulders or experience irritability.

Bay Leaf (Xiāng Yè)

Bay leaf is aromatic and warming. It supports digestion, transforms dampness, and lightly moves Qi. It helps the body process heavier foods and keeps the pot feeling balanced and digestible.

Why this meal is ideal in winter

Winter is the most yin season, which means it is a time of stillness, deeper rest, and turning inward. In Chinese medicine, this is when your Kidney system needs the most support. The Kidneys are viewed as the body’s long term energy reserves, almost like your internal battery pack. They help you stay warm, keep your bones strong, regulate hormones, and maintain overall vigor. When the weather becomes cold, your body naturally pulls from these reserves, so it becomes even more important to replenish them.

This dish does exactly that. This recipe for instant pot smoked ham shank and beans creates a deeply nourishing winter meal that warms the body and supports digestion. Slow simmered ham brings gentle warmth and provides minerals from the bone that help restore deeper energy. Heirloom beans offer grounding sweetness and steady nourishment for the Spleen, which is your digestive engine. The aromatics keep the meal light and easy to digest so the body can actually absorb all of the good nutrients. It is the kind of winter food that strengthens you from the inside out, supports resilience, and leaves you feeling comfortable and deeply nourished.