Okra Soup

• 2 pounds meaty beef shank (soup) bone, or 2 quarts Basic Meat or Chicken Broth (made with beef (see Notes)); do not use canned broth
• 1 smoked ham hock, about 3/4 pound
• 2 medium white onions, trimmed, split lengthwise, peeled, and chopped
• 1- 1/2 pounds small, tender okra (about 8 cups), trimmed and thinly sliced
• 3 pounds ripe tomatoes, scalded, peeled, seeded, and roughly chopped
• Salt and whole black pepper in a peppermill
• Fresh Birds Eye Peppers
• 1- 1/2 cups hot Low Country Steamed Rice (see Notes)

1. If using beef shank bones, put them with the ham hock in a heavy-bottomed soup kettle or Dutch oven with 3 quarts of water.
2. Bring to a boil over medium heat.
3. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 2 quarts, at least 2 hours.
4. If using meat broth instead, bring the broth and ham hock to a simmer over medium high heat, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer, loosely covered, for at least an hour.
5. Skim off the excess fat, add the onion, and simmer slowly until it is tender, about 20 minutes.
6. You may make the broth a day ahead up to this point, cool, cover, and refrigerate.
7. Remove the solidified fat from the top before bringing the broth back to a simmer over medium heat.
8. Stir in the okra and tomatoes, loosely cover, and let it come back to a simmer.
9. Uncover, reduce the heat, and simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
10. Taste and season the soup with salt and pepper.
11. Simmer, uncovered, until the okra and tomatoes are very tender and the soup is quite thick, at least an hour more-longer wont hurt it.
12. Remove the bones and hock from the pot.
13. Some cooks cut up any meat on the bone and add it back to the soup.
14. Discard the bones.
15. Pour the soup into a heated tureen or divide it among heated soup plates.
16. If offering fresh birds eye peppers, allow guests to crush a single pepper in their bowls and remove it before the soup is ladled in.
17. Put 1/4 cup of rice in the center of each serving, or pass it separately.

beef, ham hock, white onions, okra, tomatoes, salt, fresh birds, notes

Taken from www.cookstr.com/recipes/okra-soup (may not work)