Baked Beans

[Tex_77]

Chef I have 10.5 pounds of VanCamp pork and beans i need to make baked beans out, what would you add? I’m know im going to add 3 diced onions, 2#'s of bacon and some jalapenos.

[johnsbrewhouse]

Tex_77 Green bell peppers, some maple syrup and molasses

[Chef]

Tex_77 I agree with the bell pepper but prefer red for the appearance. I also would also add a little molasses, brown sugar, a dark beer (open two so you can add one and drink one - A Cajun way of cooking with either wine or beer…) a bit of chili powder and a chicken or beef stock.

[TexLaw]

I also like to add sage to beans like that. It really picks them up.

Whenever I cook a brisket, I always save as much of the fat and “juice” drippings that come off while it rests. I separate the two (with a fat separator) and freeze it all for later. A tablespoon or so of the juice really does something good to a large can of beans.

[Departing Contestant]

Tex_77 black beans for variety and texture

[[[global:former-user]]]

Departing Contestant I agree completely DC. Always have a dozen or two home canned ones on hand. Well…not right now, guess what I’m doing tomorrow. lol

[Chef]

Hi Guys, Here’s a Charro Beans (Frijoles Charros) recipe that’s been a winner at BBQ’s and Tex-Mex gigs:

[Chef]

1 pound bacon
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic
2 pounds dried pinto beans
8 cups beef broth
1 bottle dark beer (open at least 2, one must insure the quality of all ingredients)
2 pounds diced tomatoes
1 green and 1 red bell pepper chopped
1 bunch cilantro chopped
2 teaspoons cumin
2 teaspoons chipotle powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

[Chef]

I do cook mine in a pressure cooker, 15# pressure for 20 minutes.

it can also be cooked slowly on the stove top, cook until beans are tender
Fry bacon till crispy. Keep the bacon fat in. Add onions, bell peppers, garlic , cook till tender. Add balance of ingredients.

To convert to cowboy beans, add chopped brisket, sausage, or pulled pork. Always a well received addition.

[Chef]

I guess there is a limit to the length of post. Had to break down this recipe into three sections to get the site to accept it. Sorry

[Tex_77]

Now I like your recipe, but i consider that more borroacho(sp) beans or cowboy beans. To me baked beans have a little sweetness to them. Recently when making cowboy beans i have been skipping the soak and crock bought and just boiling and simmering them for a couple hours.

[Chef]

Tex_77 You are correct, that is not a baked bean. Much more savory. I’m with you that baked beans are sweeter. I’ll pull out my recipe for them and post it.

[Chef]

Jonathon What’s the limit on letters or lines that we can post?

[Jonathon]

Chef That’s an interesting question. I tested it in the “test” category that we use to make more complex posts and didn’t find one. I posted 6500 words and it posted them all

[Chef]

Jonathon I just ha a lot of problems trying to post one recipe, but did okay on a recipe the next day. Don’t you love technology?

[Jonathon]

Chef No, I really don’t! I’m starting to think we (humanity) needs a break from computers a few times a week. The book “Ready Player One” had an interesting bit in the end SPOILER where the kid shuts the virtual environment down for 2-3 days a week. Maybe social media and the internet in general needs those rules as well?

[Chef]

Jonathon As an engineer, I know that everything has a design capacity, like a bridge, or road, where if you exceed it, it can fail.
While this is a bit on the spiritual side, I do believe that God created people with a specific designed capacity like weight limits, mental capacity, and the like. I truly believe that God also created us for a particular lifestyle. We were designed to interface with friends and family. He gave us the ability to deal with a certain amount of stress. I think we have exceeded His design and we have too much information, too much stress, too much pressure in our lives. With all the sensory overload, we just have exceeded His intentions for humans. We need a slower way of life, a way to connect with real people and not be overloaded with the bombardment of stimulus that we are exposed to. We all need a life that God intended us to live.

Okay, I’m off my soapbox now. Blessing to everyone who reads this that they may have a very enjoyable day.

[TexLaw]

Jonathon Chef I agree with both of you. So many of us claim that we never have any time and that we always are stressed, but the fact is that we do it to ourselves. Even taking 5, 10, or 15 minutes to just sit in quiet has an astounding effect on one’s peace, sanity, attitude, ability to cope, and all those other related things.

“But I don’t have 15 minutes,” many say. Yes, you do. You just have to give it to yourself.