West Virginia Soup Beans and Cast-Iron Cornbread – Garden & Gun

Ingredients

• 1 lb. dried pinto beans
• 1½ lb. smoked ham hocks
• 1 yellow onion, quartered
• 6 garlic cloves, smashed with the flat side of a knife
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 2 bay leaves
• 1½ tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
• Ground black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1 (14-oz.) can cream-style sweet corn
• ½ cup milk
• ½ cup sour cream
• ⅓ cup olive oil
• 1½ cups yellow cornmeal
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 2 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 cup chopped scallions
• 1 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
• 1 jalapeño pepper, minced
• 4 bacon slices