Fire roast the pepper on an open flame. It will blister the outside skin. Turn this often or you will over char it.
Quickly put it into a ziploc bag this will allow it th steam the skin a bit, about 1-1/2 to 2 minutes. Retain the juices and pour into the pot you will be making the beans in. It will be about a tablespoon usually. Now take a spoon and scrape the skin off.
Dice the onion. Remove the seeds from the pepper and dice it finely. Put the hambone into the pot and render some of the fat.
After about 15 minutes of turning the hambone add the peppers and onion. Stir around. Add the beans and mix. Now add the water, garlic, and cumin. Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer.
After 2-1/2 hours simmering, we play the game called scrape the bone. We would separate the bone at the joint then see who would scrape the bone the cleanest. This includes the bone marrow. Chop the meat and add back to the pot.
Cook the beans and the returned ham, 10-12 minutes. Let rest covered 20 minutes. This allows the gelatinous substance to thicken the beans. Stir just a bit before serving. One last taste adjust the flavors if you desired. Serve I hope you enjoy!! Allowing it to thicken is very important.
