"Southern" style beans

[Oldskooler]

I made the beans after the tub ... mixing beans with tub is a bad idea.

Why, just adds to the bubbles

 

[Homercidal]

That's the great thing about a hot tub. You can eat beans and they won't know you cut one because the tub is already bubbling away!

(Oh, except for the warm, pungent aroma wafting around in the air currents above the tub...)

Those beans look really good, Creamy. I'm picking up the stuff tonight. Wife is planning on pork chops (Probably simmered in mushroom gravy, but if so, I'm letting the kid cook that for once! Hmm... I'll have to teach her how to cook risotto too..) but maybe the next time I get time in the kitchen I'll mix it up.

 

[Homercidal]

Well, dinner got cooked without a hitch. The kid pan seared the chops and started them simmering in mushroom gravy. I sweated some onions in a pan with some bacon grease and then we cooked the risotto finishing it off with some peas for something interesting. I also pan fried some asparagus with bacon grease for me and the wife.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

How do you make your mushroom gravy?

 

[Homercidal]

How do you make your mushroom gravy?

It's a recipe handed down from my grandma. I take a can of cream of mushroom soup and add a bit of milk and stir with a whisk.

 

[Homercidal]

I lied. It wasn't from my grandma. It's my own invention. I just threw stuff in a pan and it tasted good.

 

[Revvy]

... mixing beans with tub is a bad idea.

But I hear it makes a heckova mash tun.....and if a porno has been shot in it, you prolly don't need to bother adding any yeast.


:fro:

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Wow... we took it to a certain line, and the reverend took it over. My world view has been shaken.

 

[Revvy]

If you haven't figured out my mindset already from being on here, it might interest you that I will be mentioning both bacon AND Zombies during my sermon on Sunday.

 

[MidTNJasonF]

This thread is full of so much wind.

There, fixed that for you.

 

[MidTNJasonF]

Oh and if the second ingredient on your list after the beans is not Ham hock or at least ham bone than they are not "Southern Beans".

 

[Homercidal]

Oh and if the second ingredient on your list after the beans is not Ham hock or at least ham bone than they are not "Southern Beans".

How do you figure?

 

[MidTNJasonF]

How do you figure?

That is how they are cooked. It is a key ingredient. Only three keys are the beans, the ham hock, and the water. Everything else is inconsequential. Without the hock you are just making some other type of beans. It might be tasty but it is not truly Southern.

 

[cheezydemon3]

I make FANTASTIC vegetarian beans, but MidTNJasonF is right. the word "southern" by the beans might as well say "pig parts"

For veggie BTW....At least 4 big fire roasted bell peppers (and preferably 2 anchos, a jalapeno and some caramelized onions) must be dumped in from the word go to make up the flavor lost from no piggy.

 

[TNGabe]

Oh and if the second ingredient on your list after the beans is not Ham hock or at least ham bone than they are not "Southern Beans".

Fatback doens't cut it?

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Look out folks... this could get heated.

 

[Homercidal]

That is how they are cooked. It is a key ingredient. Only three keys are the beans, the ham hock, and the water. Everything else is inconsequential. Without the hock you are just making some other type of beans. It might be tasty but it is not truly Southern.

Yeah, but why do I have to list it second? I'm not selling it in stores...

 

[CreamyGoodness]

Haha I think the point is that you need bone in order to get some meat gelatin in the beans (thus the hock or ham bone). The ham meat is a tasty addition but if I am understanding correctly you need the bone to boil.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Lol, Homer you smartass!!!

Ingredients are listed by volume. So second only to beans should be the amount of PORK!!

I think more peppers than pork could be OK, but you might be even more southern by that point.

 

[Homercidal]

FWIW I'd never make it without ham or bacon. Screw that. The healthyness of the beans balances out the unhealthyness of the pork. AMIRIGHT?

Creamy, I am not sure I will be able to find the exotic ingredients you listed in that Dominican Style recipe. I was going to look tonight when I took my kid to dance, but it turns out I have to replace the starter in my Jeep so my wife is taking the kid. I am debating on whether to ask her to shop for this stuff or not. It woudl be fun, but I've been getting it way to regularly for me to want to tempt fate. Then again I could tease her with some crock pot pulled pork (My smoker is not suitable for operating in the teens with a 15 MPH wind...)

 

[cheezydemon3]

Hate to say it, but I have become a bean snob. The canned beans are all a tad overcooked to begin with, and even mild heating up makes them mush. The dominican recipe sounds good, but I hates the can.

Dried beans (or fresh it you can get them) are so easy and just take a little time, but come out the right texture.

 

[TNGabe]

Hate to say it, but I have become a bean snob. The canned beans are all a tad overcooked to begin with, and even mild heating up makes them mush. The dominican recipe sounds good, but I hates the can.

Dried beans (or fresh it you can get them) are so easy and just take a little time, but come out the right texture.

Not to mention being 1/4 the price and not being salted to death.

 

[cheezydemon3]

Not to mention being 1/4 the price and not being salted to death.

Exactly!

Hell, for the same price I end up with too many to eat!

 

[HokieBrewer]

ranchogordo.com

I went on a bean buying binge last year. So good.

 

[CreamyGoodness]

FWIW I'd never make it without ham or bacon. Screw that. The healthyness of the beans balances out the unhealthyness of the pork. AMIRIGHT?

Creamy, I am not sure I will be able to find the exotic ingredients you listed in that Dominican Style recipe. I was going to look tonight when I took my kid to dance, but it turns out I have to replace the starter in my Jeep so my wife is taking the kid. I am debating on whether to ask her to shop for this stuff or not. It woudl be fun, but I've been getting it way to regularly for me to want to tempt fate. Then again I could tease her with some crock pot pulled pork (My smoker is not suitable for operating in the teens with a 15 MPH wind...)

I read through my list to find the exotic ingredients you mentioned and the only thing I can think of is the sazon goya. teehee! I know you can use adobo in a pinch (itll be a wee bit different but good nonetheless), or omit entirely in favor of just salt and pepper... maybe a wee bit of tumeric. I thought for sure every large supermarket in America had sazon goya on the shelves until gratus fermentatio proved me wrong... but its still worth a look.

Not to go off on another one of my dumb tangents, but the real triumph of the cuisine of the Spanish speaking peoples is the same of Italian cuisine. Substitutions made due to necessity will still yield a wonderful product if you adhere to the flavor profile of the dish.

 

[MidTNJasonF]

Yes my comments were in jest a bit. My old school Southern Mother-In-Law may be a ridiculous alcoholic but she can cook some beans. Big ol' hunk of ham bone with some fat, meat, and cartilage still stuck to it is an absolute requirement around here.

In the past I have made a black bean soup with diced cured country ham, green peppers, diced onions, garlic, some diced green chili, salt, pepper, honey for a touch of sweetness, maybe a little cayenne pepper blend for additional heat, and chicken stock. It ends up being more of a bowl of beans instead of a soup but it is tasty.

 

[cheezydemon3]

No matter how awesome, the best beans win best supporting actor, not the lead role. Here are mine.

 

[Homercidal]

After my homemade ground bologna (Which I normally LOVE, but this time I accidentally used dill relish instead of sweet relish...) that looks pretty damn tasty!

No time for plan B. Gotta get the kid to band concert tonight.

 

[cheezydemon3]

After my homemade ground bologna (Which I normally LOVE, but this time I accidentally used dill relish instead of sweet relish...) that looks pretty damn tasty!

No time for plan B. Gotta get the kid to band concert tonight.

You already said that.

Maybe get a mod to fix it.

 

[Subsailor]

Typical beans at my house while growing up:

Great Northern Dried beans reconstituted with warm, lightly salted water.
Ham Hocks
1 whole onion chopped
couple cloves garlic chopped
Slat
Pepper
Water
and one of Dad's beers.

Saute Onions and garlic in bacon fat (Mom always kept a mason jar of this by the stove) and then brown off the hocks all in the same pot the beans will be cooked in.
Drain the beans, and toss on top of hocks and onions.
Dump in Dad's beer, this was usually one he had left over from Friday night, usually purchased in Frankenmuth.
Cover with water and let simmer all day.
About an hour or so before the beans are ready, get your cast iron skillet hot, add some bacon grease, throw in your corn bread and put is all in the oven
About the time the corn bread is ready you put it all on the table, dad gives each of a big hunk of hot steaming corn bread which thickly cover in fresh home churned butter, break it up in the bottom of the bowl, dump a couple ladles of the the thick bean stew on top - always hopingyou get one of the bigger chucnks of hocks in your bowl!

My mouth is watering just remembering sitting down with Mom, Dad, 3 brothers and my sister to meals like that.

Potato soup with some homemade sausage from some Polish friends up by Bay City was another favorite!