California Barbecued Beans Adapted From Cooks Country Recipe 435 Recipes

CALIFORNIA BARBECUED BEANS, ADAPTED FROM COOK'S COUNTRY RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• If you can find them, pinquito beans (a variety grown in the Santa Maria Valley) are traditional in this dish. Bottled taco sauce is available in the Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. Don't add the tomato puree, taco sauce, brown sugar, and salt before the beans have simmered for an hour; they will hinder the proper softening of the beans. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until fat renders and pork is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans and water and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beans are just soft, about 1 hour. IF MAKING HOMEMADE TACO SAUCE: Place in sauce pan and stir well, simmer at a very low temperature for 15- 20 minutes. Remove and cool. May be kept in refrigerator for several days. Stir in tomato puree, taco sauce, sugar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are completely tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too thick, add water.) Season with kosher salt, if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve. (Beans can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

FRENCH CANADIAN (NOT BOSTON) BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pour the beans onto a plate, and pick-over looking for bad beans, or stones. Place beans in bowl, cover with water by at least 2 inches, and soak overnight.
• Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
• Drain beans and place in 4-quart bean pot. Add onion, dry mustard, pepper, salt, and maple syrup. Add water to cover. Cut salt pork into 1-inch pieces and place on top of beans. Bake covered, approximately 8 hours. Check each hour to see if water needs to be added. You can add more maple syrup in place of water for flavor, if desired.
• Serve the beans with brown bread, franks, or ham. For breakfast, serve with eggs, bacon, and home-fries.

OLD FASHIONED FRENCH CANADIAN BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Cover beans with water and soak overnight.
• Rinse beans then bring to a boil in approximately 1 quart of water, bay leaf and garlic - simmer for 30 minutes.
• Turn off heat and let beans stand for approximately 1 1/2 hours until soft. Drain and reserve the bean liquid. Discard bay leaf and garlic.
• Mix together remaining ingredients (excluding beans and bacon).
• Add beans to bean pot (or any covered dish).
• Stir in molasses mixture to beans. Top off with some of the reserved bean liquid.
• Arrange bacon on top.
• Cover and bake at 300 degrees for 7 hours. For the final hour of cooking, remove cover to let bean brown up nicely.
• Note: check occasionally and keep beans covered with reserved bean liquid during cooking.

CALIFORNIA BARBECUED BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans and 6 cups water in a large Dutch oven.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat, cover and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour.
• Drain the beans; clean and dry the pot.
• Cook the bacon and ham in the Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the pork is lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the drained beans and 6 cups water; bring to a simmer.
• Decrease heat to med-low, cover, and cook until the beans are just soft, about 1 hour.
• Stir in the tomato puree, taco sauce, sugar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the beans are completely tender and the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour (if the mixture becomes too thick, add water).
• Stir in the cilantro and vinegar and season with salt to taste.
• Serve.