1 Fill A Pot Large Enough To Hold The Beans With Water And Bring To A Boil. Turn Off The Heat, Add The Beans And Soak The Beans For About 2 Hours. Drain The Water. 2 Meanwhile, Put The Ham Hocks Or Shanks In A Large Pot And Cover With 2 Quarts Of Water. Add The Herbes De Provence Or Italian Seasoning. Bring To A Simmer And Simmer For About An Hour. Add The Chopped Vegetables And Beans. Cook For Another Hour, Until The Vegetables Are Soft And The Ham Meat Easily Pulls Away From The Bone. Pull The Meat Off The Bone And Discard The Bones. 3 Add Several Drops Of Tabasco To Taste. Add Salt And Pepper To Taste. Serve With A Pinch Of Chopped Fresh Parsley.