Ham Dumplings

Ingredients

• 1 ham bone (see notes)
• 1 medium onion, quartered
• 10 cups water
• 1-2 teaspoons ham bullion or salt
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup butter at room temp
• 1 cup milk

Instructions

1. 1

   Place ham bone, onion and water in a soup pot then bring to a boil.

2. 2

   Cover, reduce heat to low, then simmer 1 hour. Remove from heat.

3. 3

   Remove lid then let rest 15-20 minutes while dumplings are made.

4. 4

   Stir or sift flour and salt together in a mixing bowl.

5. 5

   Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, cut butter into flour until well combined and clumps are very small (pea-sized or smaller).

6. 6

   Stir in milk until a shaggy dough ball forms.

7. 7

   Generously flour a large work surface then turn dough out (dough is very wet and you don't want it to stick). Sprinkle generously with more flour then roll until very thin (about 1/8 inch).

8. 8

   Using a pizza cutter or sharp knife, cut dough into 2-inch squares.

9. 9

   Let dumplings rest 1 hour.

10. 10

    Remove ham bone from broth to cool. Remove onion if desired (I usually leave it).

11. 11

    Add 1 teaspoon ham bullion or salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Taste for seasoning then add more to taste if needed. This is when we need to make the broth taste like we want the finished dish to taste.

12. 12

    Once cool enough to handle, trim all the meat from the ham bone then add back to broth.

13. 13

    When dumplings have rested 1 hour, heat broth over high heat until slowing boiling.

14. 14

    Working quickly, add dumplings, one at a time, to boiling broth. Add dumplings on opposite sides of the pot so they don't stick to each other.

15. 15

    Once all dumplings have been added to the pot, turn off heat then let pot rest, uncovered, 5 minutes or until dumplings are tender.