I need an explosive report !

K

Kevin the grey

Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
4,106
On Campfire beans . Would anyone care to expand upon that ? If you have a couple of secret recipies it is time to let one go and reveal your innermost being to the world .

It can be a crockpot recipe ,dutch oven delight or oven baked brownies . The simpler the better . Molasses is a definite asset . You onion freaks need not apply . I,m a Libbys and Clark man myself . Every time I try to stir up a crock of homemade beans they are a disapointment . Too hard ,no taste or the tastes don,t marry to the bean .
Its camping time . The great outdoors is the perfect enviroment for a big bowl of Natural goodness . Just not too close to bed time . Those hooded sleeping bags can be death traps .
 
Kevin the grey said:
. Every time I try to stir up a crock of homemade beans they are a disapointment . Too hard ,no taste or the tastes don,t marry to the bean .
Click to expand...

Sounds like you need to let them cook longer, or soak before cooking a bit longer.

Too me, if there isn't onion, or garlic, then it isn't campfire beans...

(I also like small chunks of tomato too, but some people don't...)
 
45-70 . I think the open secret to most beans is the garlic in them . I don,t mind oniions in beans . Its if they are a predominant ingredient . Perhaps if they were sauted first . If not they leave too sharp a taste . I like deep browned Molasses beans and I will cut up a tomato into chunks in the last five minutes of cooking . A good beefsteak or vine tomato .
I,ve soaked my beans until the cows come home . I have even soaked them with a little molasses in the water to permeate the bean . Still no deal . Personally I think it is the quality of the bean that tells with the commercial brands ..
 
Here's the real deal:

Elna's Western Beans:

Soak 1 lb. of beans overnight then rinse thoroughly. Cook beans in water to cover for 2 or 3 hours. Then add the following ingredients 1 hour before serving: 1/4 lb bacon, diced; 1 onion, chopped finely; 1 can tomato sauce or tomato puree (1 lb. 13 oz.); 4 tblsp. brown sugar (or honey); 1 tblsp. prepared mustard; 1 tblsp Worcestershire sauce or soy sauce; 4 tblsp. mild green chili salsa; salt; pepper; and other seasonings to taste. Brown bacon and drain off excess fat then brown chopped onions. Add to the remaining ingredients. Add 1 hour before serving beans and add tomato mixture. Then add salt to taste (never add salt to beans until after they are cooked). Makes 10 servings.


When I used to work for Bruce and Elna, they'd make these beans in a huge 30-gallon cast iron cauldron on an outdoor Mexican oven. Best beans I've ever eaten.
 
Here is the classic French way. I did these at college.

300 g dried Haricot beans, 3 onions, 2 cloves, 1 carrot, 2 whole cloves
garlic, 1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, thyme, celery and parsley stalks), 2
tomatoes, 2 tablespoons olive oil, 1/2 litre white wine, 1 tablespoon
tomato paste, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, chopped
parsley, salt, pepper

Soak the dried beans in cold water overnight.
Wash and drain beans and put them in a pot of cold water. Cook for 10
minutes. Drain.

Cook them for an hour with two onions (with the cloves stuck in), carrot,
one garlic clove, and the bouquet garni.

Finely chop the 3rd onion and the garlic. Peel and seed the tomatoes. Dice
them.

Warm up the oil and sweat the onion in it. Add the white wine, white wine
vinegar, and sugar and reduce to half of its original volume.

Add the tomatoes and tomato paste, the garlic, salt and pepper.

Cover and cook for about 15 minutes.

Drain the beans and mix with the sauce. Cook for a further 10 minutes.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. Like many things of this type they are better the second day!

And this is from a friend of mine in Arizona.

Black beans are a staple of Mexican and Southwestern fare. First off, soak them overnight, drain & rinse, put in a pot with water to about 2 inches above beeans, bring to a boil, simmer gently until soft, about a hour. Now you can add them to whatever dish you are making. Here's a simple southwest/mex style Chicken, rice and black bean dish that you can eat as a main course or leave out the chicken and have on the side.

Black Beans with Chile & Chicken

In a heavy skillet:
On medium heat, add a little EV olive oil
Add:
1 medium onion chopped fine

Sautee for a few minutes until transparent,
Do not allow to brown.

Add:
1-2 cloves garlic, minced

Continue cooking for another minute or two
until garlic is soft and golden. Do not
allow to brown.

Add:
1 cup/8 oz/ 225 gr rice (I like basmati)

Mix in with onions & garlic, stirring to
coat all the rice with oil. Fry for a
further minute or two until rice begins to
go transluscent.

Add:
1 lb / 500 gr cooked boned chicken, diced

Cook, stirring, for another couple of
minutes
Add:
1 cup/ 250 ml sweet/mild chile puree/paste
or
4-6 tablespoons ground sweet chile/hot
paprika

2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt

Add: 2 cups/ 500 ml cooked, black beans, drained

Add: 2 cups/ 500ml hot chicken or vegetable stock

Bring to a gentle simmer. Turn heat down to
the lowest possible setting. Cover pot
tightly with lid.
Steam for 20 minutes or until
rice is cooked (whatever your usual time is
for steaming the rice you use).
Turn off heat. Allow rice to sit for 5
minutes before fluffing up with fork and
serving

Recipe Theresa Odette

Neither are very authentic for what you are after, but I do have a Pioneers Cookbook somewhere.
 
I don't have a recipe, but hot dogs and beans are good, either in the kitchen, or outside in the camp pot. Hunk of bread to mop it up when you're done, and I'm sittin' pretty.
 
Josh is right - adding salt or any acidic condiments to beans before they are completely cooked keeps them from ever getting tender. They stay kinda chalky forever. I have also read that dry beans older than about a year are not as good.
I don't soak beans overnight anymore. I pick over and wash the beans, cover with 2 - 3" water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes or so. Cover, add a couple of dry hot peppers and let stand 1 hour with no - or very little heat. Add water if needed, raise the heat to med - low, and cook 'till done but not mushy- perhaps 20 or 30 minutes. Add to your favorite bean recipe, or (sorry, Yvsa :o ) chile.
 
Josh is right - adding salt or any acidic condiments to beans before they are completely cooked keeps them from ever getting tender. They stay kinda chalky forever. >>>>> Bri in Chi


I did not know that. I'm guilty of early salting. They do get tender though, perhaps it is the amount of salt and other factors like temp and the ingredients in the mix. But for now on now more early salting.

Bruise; where are you? I said I'm guilty of early salting.




munk
 
Cooks Illustrated did a test of this a few years ago and found that the acidity of tap water was even a factor. Alkaline is better, but adding baking soda does something to prevent the proper absorption of nutrients. So it's not a good thing to add, although it is also supposed to "de-gasify" the beans. You might have naturally alkaline water.
 
The pressure cooker is a good way to skip the soaking part, if you're in a hurry. It'll cook raw ones in no time.

Would put up Marta's Cuban black bean recipe, if I could remember it. My Cuban family is way-fussy about black beans and rice.

Some great recipes so far- thanks Andy, Josh.


Mike
 
Kevin? Maximum beans with minimum fuss? All you need are;
- Dried Pinto beans
- Salt pork
- Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning Mix
- Water

Soak your beans overnight that you'll be cooking the next day, I usually put 'em on the heat, bring 'em to a light boil, remove from heat and just let 'em sit and soak 'til the next day (at which point I pour off the soak water and put in fresh). Seems to work better than just cold soaking.

Next day, about 2 1/2 -3 hours before dinner, put the beans on the fire and gently bring up to a boil. While they are heating, whip out your knife and cut that salt pork into 1" cubes or slightly larger, toss 'em in the pot with the beans. I generally go two to one, 2 lbs. (dry weight) beans = 1 lb. salt pork.

Stir in the Tony Chachere's, and keep adding it until the water in the pot tastes salty enough to you. You'll note there's been no other salt added, 'cept for the salt pork, because the Tony Chachere's has salt in it.
When it tastes salty enough, all the other seasonings (pepper, oregano, garlic, etc.) will also be at optimum.

Bring to a full boil for about five minutes, then reduce to a simmer, and just give 'em a stir every 10-15 minutes until they're done. Them there's some good beans, I gar-un-tee :thumbup: :D

seasoning-original.jpg


Sarge
 
Take the unopened can, throw it in the fire and get far away. Explosion imminent. We used to do that in Boy Scouts. Really surprising how much pressure those beans can create on the inside of that can.

Tony Chachere's various flavors is good on everything. That's pronounced <Sashery>, by the way. Good stuff.
 
Tony Chachere's various flavors is good on everything. That's pronounced <Sashery>, by the way. Good stuff.

Thanks Sarge and all . I,ve never had pinto beans unless they were in a mexican dish . I quite like beans , at least the types I,ve tried . I use them to cur down the amount of meat I eat . I am down to a maximum of three meat meals a day . L:O:L

I,ll have to try the Chachere seasoning .
Black beans and rice sound interesting . Maybe we can scare up that recipe .
I,m beat its been quite the weekend . I,ll talk to you guys about it later .
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top