Just Beans

Started by Guns Garrett, March 22, 2006, 06:22:35 PM

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Guns Garrett

I've had a hankerin' fer some beans-n-cornbread, and figgered I might surprise (shock) the wife by cooking dinner this weekend.  I'm not a great cook, but who can screw up beans, right? (I know, I know ...)  Just throw some pintos and a ham hock in the crock pot, add some water, and cook all day, right?
That being said ...

I once was in Yuma Arizona, in the early 80's, and ate at an establishment known as "Hensley's Beef, Beans, and Beer" (sounds like an explosive combination, I'm sure)  They served the BEST beans I have ever eaten, but I have no idea how they were prepared, or even if they were pintos or Northerns.  When I asked about their recipe (a secret one, I'm sure) I was told "they're just Cowboy Beans."  I could see there was some onion, and stringy ham bits - no beef, that I could tell, and "something red" (chilis? pimentos? painted toenails?)  They were a little bit soupy but had a wonderful flavor, with just a little hint of spiceyness  I visited Yuma a number of times afterwards, and always made sure to stop by Hensley's for a bowl - I mean a BOWL - like what Jethro Clampett ate his Kellog's Corn flakes in - like a mixing bowl, with a half-skillet of cornbread.

Well, I don't want to make "just beans" (hence the topic title).  Anyone have a good recipe for beans with a little more "ZEST" to it?  Not Baked Beans, not Barbeque Beans - I mean Make-a-whole-meal-of-'em beans to go with corn bread.  (I can do good cornbread).  If anyone out there is familiar with Hensley's, give me your opinions as to how they did them, or make 'em better if you know.
Thanks
Guns
"Stand, gentlemen; he served on Samar"

GAF #301

Terry Lane

Guns,
someone else will chime in for sure, but here's mine. I usually use a mix of black and pinto beans. Sort, looking for foreign material, then rinse well. Soak overnight and dump the water and rinse again. Use enough water to cover the beans by about 2 inches. Bring to temp and simmer. In the mean time, rough chop your favorite type of onion, garlic in the amount that you think suitable and a couple of peppers of your choice. I sometimes put a whole habenero in the pot to simmer and then remove it when the beans are done. In a skillet with a little olive oil, sweat, not brown the three items together. When the onion is clear, dump the skillet into the beans. Simmer the pork hock covered with water till the meat falls off the bone then put into the beans. Brown one pound of your favorite bulk pork sausage, drain and dump into the beans. Simmer the whole mess till the beans are done to your liking. At this time, taste for seasoning and add salt and course ground black pepper as needed. That's how I do 'em anyway. Hope that helps. Thanks and take care.
Terry Lane, Nebraska Territory,
Nebraska's Official Hon. Col. Wm. F. "Buffalo Bill" Cody
Grand Army of the Frontier Department of the Missouri Chief of Scouts

Mogorilla

For my beans, I begin by making Ham stock.   ham hocks can be bought here 2 for ~$3.   

2 ham hocks, flesh/skin scored
1 onion (chopped)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 carrot (chopped)
4 cloves garlic, smashed a little.
1 bay leaf

Roast the scored ham hocks in a 400 oven (I score them so the skin gets those little diamonds, but not necessary) after 40 minutes of roasting, add half of the vegetables, but not garlic.

After the hour, pull the hocks and vegatables out and place in a 8 qt pot, add remaining vegatables, garlic and bay leaf.   Add ~ 7 qts cold water.  here you can add many extras.  I like a few sprigs of thyme, pepper flakes, or a jalapenos, or jabenero.   Simmer this mix for 4-6 hours.   Strain liquid, returning liquid to pot.  Reduce the liquid volume by half.   Cool and refrigerate.  Once very cold, defat the broth/stock.  It will be a solid disk easily removed (note: most hocks aren't real fatty anymore.  So you may only have a little solids on top. ) 
you can pull the meat off the hock, but at this point, it has given its all to your stock. 

Soak you preferred bean.  I like a mix of pinto/kidney/northern; equal parts to a total of 1.5 cups dried.    Drain most, but not all the soaking liquid

To a pot, add 2 tablespoons oil,1 chopped onion, 1 celery stalk, chopped, and 1 carrot, chopped.  Sweat until onion is clear.  Add one ham steak, chopped, 3 cloves garlic-minced, saute lightly. 

Add the stock, beans and remaining soaking liquid.   When the beans are tender, add salt and pepper to taste.  For a kick, you can add hot sauce or a can of Rotel.   Serve with hot corn bread.

Note, I keep a bag of the Ham stock in the freezer at all times.  Usually next to a frozen ham steak.  My pantry always has a variety of canned beans as well.   In the time it takes you to watch Rachel Ray, you can put the frozen stock in pan with chopped ham steak, bring to a boil, add drained beans and veggies and make a pan of corn bread with a jiffy mix (hey, it ain't homemade but is is pretty good and easy.  Oh and cheap).

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