Thursday, July 31, 2014

Beans

Rivrdog asks in comments:
Can o'beans? Waitaminute. This is one of the famous Backwoods Chefs and you don't make scratch beans?
Say it ain't so, PawPaw. If it IS so, tell me which can(s) you open so I can have the best beans available in a can.
Old friend, only God can make beans from scratch, but lots of companies boil them for you, add a little tomato sauce and call them pork 'n beans.  For myself, I like Showboat brand beans, available everywhere
 But, that doesn't mean that we have to be heathens.  They need a little help, and that's where the can 'o beans changes from cook to cook.  For myself, I'll add a little prepared mustard, some brown sugar, I'll chop an onion and a bell pepper, If I've got some pork (and I do have a couple of leftover pork chops in the fridge) I'll chop those fine and add them too.  Then, you can get creative.  I've been known to add some bourbon whiskey, or a little good beer, or maybe even a touch of BBQ sauce.

Dried beans are good for lots of things, and some of my recipes call for dried beans, but I'm also partial to canned beans.  They're cheap, readily available, and they store forever.

4 comments:

BobF said...

You and I seem to share cooking tastes. I have a handicap, however. The wife is allergic to bell pepper and several other veggies of that family. Have any idea how the absence of bell pepper screws up The Trinity? Or dozens of other recipes? I was born in Opelousas, she in New Orleans. I didn't know then there was such a divide. If only I'd known before I proposed! Hah!

Old NFO said...

Yep, they DO need help... And I throw a little Tabasco and blackstrap molasses in too... :-)

Anonymous said...

+ molasses, tobasco at table to suit the individual. Plenty of garlic, & some STRONG onions. Smokiest pork you can get. Never tried the bourbon. Most store-bought bbq sauce is too sweet, that's what the blackstrap is for.

Rivrdog

mostly cajun said...

Your recipe for enhancement of pork and beans was responsible in part for The Great Mainzer Barbecue Riot of 1976. I made barbecue and pork and beans for a fundraiser in Germany.