cow pollinater
Well-known member
It finally rained here, Thank God, and it just happened to be on a rare three day "weekend" off from the breeding route. :banana: Since I spent yesterday and the day before in the saddle all the old memories came flooding back so when I woke up to rain this morning I didn't have any choice... I had to make a pot of beans like I used to. :lol:
The history is that when I was single and living in a ranch house in the middle of nowhere, I would make a pot of beans on a rainy day with whetever was on hand in the house or at the gas station at the bottom of the mountain and eat on it for the next week.
I cook one big handfull of black beans and one big handfull of pinto beans in the fast boil method and keep just enough water in them to keep them from going dry so that I don't have to drain them. I say now that not draining keeps flavor but it's really because I didn't have much of any decent way to drain without spilling back then.
Just before they get tender, I add in one half clove of fine chopped garlic, and six strips of bacon that I've chopped up fine and fried to just under crisp along with all of the grease.
I add two cans of Italian stewed tomatoes and one small can of tomato paste(don't ask me why a gas station carries these but they always did)
I add one big yellow onion cut up or two smaller ones. I like it chopped big but I've discovered that others tend to like it smaller.
Then I add up to a pound of whatever ground meat is on hand. Today we're using turkey but bull burger was the usual ingredient back then. Ground venison also worked well. I think leaner is better but I can't remember ever making it with store bought hamburger so I could be wrong.
Then I simmer uncovered until the juice is down to the consistancy that I like and then cover and simmer for awhile.
It is best at least a couple of hours after it's done and the flavors have time to blend a little. The next day is always the best... A week is stretching it. ;-)
Variable ingredients that worked really well when available were swiss cheese and tomato bullion. There is a dash or so of tomato bullion in todays batch and I'll top every bowl with swiss cheese before it's served. We'll also serve it with cornbread tonight since I've been forced into domestication over the years. I will swill down at least a six pack of original coors just to prove I'm still me though. :lol:
The history is that when I was single and living in a ranch house in the middle of nowhere, I would make a pot of beans on a rainy day with whetever was on hand in the house or at the gas station at the bottom of the mountain and eat on it for the next week.
I cook one big handfull of black beans and one big handfull of pinto beans in the fast boil method and keep just enough water in them to keep them from going dry so that I don't have to drain them. I say now that not draining keeps flavor but it's really because I didn't have much of any decent way to drain without spilling back then.
Just before they get tender, I add in one half clove of fine chopped garlic, and six strips of bacon that I've chopped up fine and fried to just under crisp along with all of the grease.
I add two cans of Italian stewed tomatoes and one small can of tomato paste(don't ask me why a gas station carries these but they always did)
I add one big yellow onion cut up or two smaller ones. I like it chopped big but I've discovered that others tend to like it smaller.
Then I add up to a pound of whatever ground meat is on hand. Today we're using turkey but bull burger was the usual ingredient back then. Ground venison also worked well. I think leaner is better but I can't remember ever making it with store bought hamburger so I could be wrong.
Then I simmer uncovered until the juice is down to the consistancy that I like and then cover and simmer for awhile.
It is best at least a couple of hours after it's done and the flavors have time to blend a little. The next day is always the best... A week is stretching it. ;-)
Variable ingredients that worked really well when available were swiss cheese and tomato bullion. There is a dash or so of tomato bullion in todays batch and I'll top every bowl with swiss cheese before it's served. We'll also serve it with cornbread tonight since I've been forced into domestication over the years. I will swill down at least a six pack of original coors just to prove I'm still me though. :lol:
