Put the beans in a big pot or bowl. Add 2 inches of cold water on top. Overnight, leave covered. Beans should be drained and rinsed.

In a 6-quart (or bigger) slow cooker, combine the drained beans, broth, ham hock, onion, celery, garlic, bay leaf, thyme, and ground black pepper to taste. Don't season at this time with salt. Add enough ice-cold water to the beans to cover them. Stir everything thoroughly.

Put a lid on the slow cooker. The beans should be cooked until soft on HIGH for 4-5 hours or on LOW for 8–10 hours. In the last hour or so of cooking, season with roughly 1 teaspoon of salt. Throw away the bay leaf, thyme sprig, and ham hock. Some of the beans can be mashed with a potato masher or the back of a spoon to thicken the liquid. If required, add more salt and pepper after tasting.

While the oven is heating to 450 degrees Fahrenheit, heat a 10-inch cast iron pan in the oven.

Mix or whisk the cornmeal, eggs, buttermilk, and melted butter in a sizable bowl. Don't overmix; simply stir until incorporated.

Remove the hot skillet from the oven with caution. When the skillet is heated, add the oil and distribute it around to coat the sides and bottom (I use a pastry brush for this).

Pour the batter into the skillet after greasing it.

Bake for about 15 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cornbread comes out clean.