The night before cooking, place beans in an airtight container and cover with about 8 cups of water; let sit overnight in the refrigerator.
In the morning, drain the beans, place in the crock pot and add the ham shank.
Add enough fresh water to cover the ham shank and the beans; add the salt and pepper; the amount of salt needed depends on the cut of ham.
Cover and cook, on high, for 6 to 7 hours or until beans are soft.
Remove ham; shred off of bone; return shredded meat to crockpot.
Turn off the heat and serve.
