August 5, 2019
Happy Monday, Slow Cookerers!!
Hold on to your hats ---
These are some awesome beans. I promise.
Sweetened with Brown Sugar, Bourbon, and Bacon, these are going to be a HIT at your next tail gate, family get together or potluck gathering.
I call them "Three B Beans" when describing to friends ad have brought them to birthday parties and New Years potlucks.
The crock is usually scraped clean! You can eat them as a full meal or as a side dish; your choice!
serves 8 to 10 as side dish, or 4 to 6 as full meal
1 pound pinto beans, soaked overnight and then drained and rinsed
* SEE NOTE BELOW
8 ounces bacon, cooked, crumbled, and drained
1 onion, diced and browned
4-6 cloves garlic, diced and browned
1 cup prepared barbecue sauce (read labels carefully if avoiding gluten)
1 cup lightly
packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons molasses
1 tablespoon ground mustard
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup bourbon (if you don't want to use alcohol, use an unfiltered apple cider)
* NOTE:
if you don't have time to soak overnight, no problem.
Put them in a large pot, and cover completely with water. Bring to a rapid boil for 10 minutes, then turn off stove and cover pot.
Let your beans sit for 1 hour, then drain water and put beans into crockpot)
Also, pinto beans sometimes seem to take a super long time to soften.
If cooking on low for up to 14 hours is too long
for you (or 8-10 on high) then try using small white Northern beans instead; they soften faster!)
The Directions.
Use a 6-quart slow cooker. In a large skillet on the stovetop (or use your Ninja!) brown the bacon, onion, and garlic until the bacon is crisp and the fat has been rendered.
Discard the fat, and pour
the bacon mixture into an empty slow cooker.
Add the soaked and drained pinto beans.
Now add the brown sugar, molasses, barbecue sauce, and dried ground mustard.
Stir in chicken broth and bourbon.
Cover, and cook on low for 10-14 hours, or until beans are soft.
If you live in a high-altitude, your beans may take longer to cook.
If you prefer to cook on high, check after
6 hours or so.
I served our beans with homemade corn bread made from masa.
I like making quick cornbread with masa because it's not as sweet and the finished bread is rustic and hearty -- masa has a bit more of a "nutty" taste than other varieties of corn flour.Click through to read the Masa Cornbread Recipe, here (scroll down, under the beans) The Verdict.
These beans are perfect.
I am SO looking forward to the next potluck --- they had tons of flavor and smelled absolutely amazing.
All 5 of us licked
our bowls clean. I'm really very pleased with this recipe, and I think you will be, too.
If you don't want to use bacon, I bet a saved ham-bone/hock would be *perfect*.
The masa cornbread was an experiment. I didn't have cornmeal in the house and really wanted cornbread.
This is quite tasty--
it's nowhere near as sweet as traditional cornbread and tastes "cornier" if that makes sense.
This would be a more traditional flavor that the pioneers or Native Americans would have had.
at least that's what I told the kids.
Are you looking for some other Bean Ideas? Here is a great roundup for you!
Have a wonderful day!!
happy slow cooking!!
steph
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