Sunday Beans Recipes

HOMEMADE QUEBEC MAPLE BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Rinse and sort the beans; remove any pebbles or debris.
• Place the beans in a large bowl.
• Fill with water to submerge the beans with at least two inches of water.
• Soak overnight (8-12 hours).
• The next day, transfer the drained and rinsed beans again to a large pot.
• Re-fill with water and bring to a boil.
• Turn down the heat and simmer for about 45 minutes.
• Remove from heat and rinse again.
• Transfer the rinsed precooked beans to your slow cooker.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, stir together and place the whole onion in the center.
• Cover and cook on low heat for 6 to 8 hours or until the beans are tender. If the mixture appears dry, you can add some water.
• Preheat oven to 225°F.
• Once again, transfer the precooked beans to your dutch oven or a large oven-proof pot.
• Add the rest of the ingredients, cover and cook for approximately 6 hours.
• Remove the lid for the last 30 minutes or so to obtain a nice golden color. As with the slow cooker method, if the beans appear dry, add a little water.

SUNDAY STARTUP PORK AND BEANS

Steps:

• Set soaked beans in saucepot and cover with water (4 quarts). Bring water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 1 hour or until the beans are just tender, but not mushy. Drain, reserving cooking liquid. Mix precooked beans with molasses and mustard and season lightly with salt and pepper. While beans are cooking, parboil sausages and salt pork for 10 minutes. Drain. Dice the salt pork into small cubes and slice the sausages. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a shallow gratin or baking dish layer 1/3 of the beans. Top the beans with half of minced garlic, onion, diced salt pork and sliced sausages; season with salt and pepper. Repeat with a layer of beans, remaining salt pork, sausages, onions and garlic and finish with layer of beans. Add about 1 cup of reserved bean cooking liquid to the baking pan, cover the top with strips of bacon and bake for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed. (Add more liquid if it evaporates too quickly.)
• Serve with Corn Bread (recipe follows)
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 13 by 9-inch baking pan. With a whisk combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, salt and sugar. Beat eggs with buttermilk and combine with corn and corn oil. Swiftly blend dry ingredients with wet ingredients and transfer to baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes or until bread pulls away from edges and a toothpick when inserted in the middle of the bread comes out dry.

SUNDAY BEANS

Steps:

• Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and, a few moments later, the bacon. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has begun to render out of the bacon and the meat is beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes.
• Lower the heat to medium and add the onion, garlic and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Add the cumin and coriander. They will absorb the heated oil in the pan and grow fragrant. Stir for 1 to 2 minutes and then add the juices. Raise the heat to high until the mixture begins to simmer, then lower the heat and reduce to one half of its volume. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
• Stir in the beans. After 5 minutes stir again, then taste and adjust the seasonings. (The mixture can keep, softly bubbling on the stove, for hours. Add a little juice or water if necessary. Stir occasionally.) Serve with white rice.