Better Than Baked: Cowboy Beans

It’s official: summer! Now we’re into June and grilling season. Rather than opine on burgers or barbecue, I thought, how about a blog on my latest side dish?

What are we having that’s different? In my case, it’s cowboy beans. I grew up with a tradition of baked beans that involved adding some bacon, onions, and ketchup to a can or two of Van Camp’s Pork and Beans, then baking it in the oven. Pretty good, in most cases. After college, I moved to New England, where baked beans were Boston style with brown sugar, maple syrup, molasses, and baked in the oven. Pretty good, too. But to me, they both lack a little spark.

Barbecue and smoke flavors

A few weeks back – when we were finally able to have dinner company, indoors! – I decided to try to make baked beans with a twist. I wanted a dish that would be more than a filler at a cookout. I had a sense of what I wanted: a more barbecue tart flavor and smoke to make the beans more complex; a little heat from spice; and a nice finish with a little fat. The next step was an Internet research to see what others had concocted in this area. I found a general consensus around barbecue sauce, ketchup, a dash of mustard, and other flavor-enhancing ingredients. Not only does this produce a tasty side that surprises your guests, but it’s also a good leftover that can be stored in the fridge for a week or more.

To make the dish, first came the beans. I’ve become an apostle of Rancho Gordo in California and their remarkable beans. They’re interesting, flavorful, and offer variety – so much better than just adding canned beans or cooking up some dried beans from the supermarket. Using Rancho Gordo beans means starting a day and a half ahead by soaking my selection (piquintos, red kidney beans, and cannellini) overnight. The next day, I used my Instant Pot to cook the beans, just 25 minutes under pressure, then released the steam and allowed the beans to cool.

Cooked low and slow

The evening before serving, I strained the water from the cooked beans (but saved a few cups of the bean liquor). Next, I brought out my slow-cooker. Now it was time to add the flavor. Since my slow-cooker has a “sear” setting, I added some diced bacon and cooked it down and when rendered, added diced onion and chopped jalapeno. Then in went three pork ribs to sear. When all was reduced and browned, I added the beans and other ingredients: ketchup, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, Dijon mustard, the bean liquor, and chopped canned chipotles with their adobo sauce. Finally, I just let the slow-cooker do its magic over time.

I’ve learned my lesson before. To meld the flavors, these beans need to be nursed on low and slow heat. The first time, I baked the beans in the oven, but left them in too long, and they dried out. The slow-cooker is much more forgiving, and I can always add some black coffee if the beans are getting too dry. If you don’t have a slow-cooker, use a Dutch oven or heavy pot on the stove and simmer very low for an hour or two, checking every little while to make sure the liquid hasn’t boiled away.

As for the result, Mrs. Farmboy has proclaimed (even the first batch) that she’ll never go back to another baked bean recipe, and last Saturday’s guests – my children and grandchildren – gobbled them up along with smoked brisket and pineapple slaw. And I still have some leftovers for lunch this week. How about you? Do you have an interesting new side to go with your summer grilling?

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