Kentucky Black Bean Soup

This recipe is from Mima. The note from Mima says, "While Crosse and Blackwell's is very good, this is even better and not as complicated as it sounds!"


Ingredients
1 pound black beans, soaked overnight.
1 pound lean veal
1 knuckle of veal
1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 Tablespoons salt
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire
5 chopped onions
3 quarts water
1 lemon cut in eighths
4 whole cloves, stuck in lemon sections
1/2 Teaspoon Allspice
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup sherry
5 tablespoons butter
hard boiled egg

Process

1. Cover beans with water and soak overnight. Drain.
   
2. Put 3 quarts water in soup kettle.
   
3. Add meat, 2 onions, lemon, drained beans, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and spices.
   
4. Simmer slowly until beans are mushy - about 4 hours.
   
5. Remove lemon and meat. Strain broth.
   
6. With potato masher, pound beans to a puree, pounding through a strainer. Add water if bean pulp gets too thick.
   
7. Return puree to stove.
   
8. Shred the meat and add to puree on the stove.
   
9. In separate pan, fry remaining onions in butter until dark brown.
   
10. Add onions to puree mixture and let it come to a boil again.
    
11. Add sherry and stir until heated through.
    
12. Serve in bowls with one slice of lemon and 2 slices of hard boiled egg on each plate.