2 c. (about 12 oz.) dried black beans
1/4 lb. salt pork
3 1/4 c. beef broth
3 c. water
1/4 lb. lean smoked slab bacon
1 ham bone
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 med. onion, peeled and chopped
2 sm. leeks, trimmed, thoroughly cleaned and chopped
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1/4 c. chopped celery tops
1/2 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 tbsp. dry sherry
2 hard boiled eggs, minced
1 tbsp. minced parsley

Wash the beans very well in cold water; picking out irregular beans and discarding any foreign matter. Soak the beans overnight in a large bowl, with enough cold water to come 2 inches above the beans. Drain the beans and put them in a 6 quart Dutch oven. Put the salt pork in a 1 quart pan with water to cover and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 1 minute; drain and rinse under cold running water. Add to the beans. Add 3 cups of broth, the water, bacon, and ham bone and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, while preparing the vegetables.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over moderate heat; add the onion, the leeks, carrot and celery tops and continue to saute until the vegetables are soft but not brown (about 3 minutes).

Stir the vegetables into the soup; add the pepper, and bay leaf and continue to simmer, covered for 2 1/2 hours; add the thyme and continue cooking until the beans are very soft (about 3 hours total cooking time). Stir occasionally. Remove the salt pork, the bacon, the ham bone, and bay leaf. Return any ham (chopped) left on bone along with any bacon you might wish to slice. Discard the rest. Using a food processor or blender, puree the soup, 2 cups at a time, and return to the pot. Heat the soup over low heat; if too thick add 1/4 cup of beef broth. Just before serving, stir in sherry. In a small bowl stir together the minced egg and parsley; sprinkle some on each serving. Makes 6 filling servings.

Note: If you forget to soak your beans overnight, put beans in a 2 quart saucepan and cover with cold after. Bring to a boil, then lower heat and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let them sit, covered for 1 hour. Proceed with your recipe as if the beans had been soaked overnight.