Bean and corn soup with smoked pork shank

This chilly weekend was crying out for some kind of soup.

Finding this bulky, smoked pork shank made deciding what kind of soup to make easy.

Carrots and onion cooked down for a few minutes...

And, in keeping with the smokey flavor of the shank, a serious fistful of smokey, Hungarian paprika (St. John Spice of course) cooked along with the vegetables for a few more minutes.

Pork shank in the pot, along with stock and water, and some smashed garlic, bay leaf and red pepper flakes...

And a couple of dried chili peppers to simmer along with it all and raise the heat.

Simmered for a couple of hours, until the shank starts falling apart.

Fresh corn and Great Northern beans...

Corn, toasted for a couple of minutes to add some more smokey taste.

Pork shank removed (and pork shredded after it cooled) and corn and beans added.

A couple of big ladles of the soup wizzed in the blender and returned to pot.

Shredded pork added. Fat skimmed. Soup simmered for another hour.

Thick, smokey bean, corn and pork shank soup. Lunch!