My current working strategy is a ham hock and chicken stock. I would like to switch to something that doesn’t involve dead animals.
(As a side note - I’ve noticed that if I leave my beans soaking for a little longer, they seem to bubble and ferment. Could I possibly make alcohol this way?)
I have never liked pork… I would not even know what might satisfy the tastes of someone who does. But there are always spices and herbs and flavors to experiment with. Recently I have used nutritional yeast as a flavor booster for soups and sauces. Miso is also an option. I am told it was traditional in Japan to toss in some kombu seaweed during soaking, though I would not expect much more than a mineral salt taste from that.