Beans

[spressomon]

Not exactly campfire food per se but for the bean lovers out there and those not familiar with Steve Sando's Ranch Gordo heirloom beans...you need to get on these!

I've tried about a dozen varieties so far and the Flageolets and Good Mother Stallard varietals are extra special. They're no older than last fall's crop so they cook about 2-3x faster than your typical 2-3 year old dry beans you find in most stores including up scale grocers.

Rancho Gordo, Napa CALIF: New World Specialty Food

The Good Mother Stallard's, refried, make a fantastic base for bean dip as well as huevos rancheros (both relatively easy camp creations assuming you cook the beans at home before your campfest ).

And unless you're on the trail with beno and he brings along a few of his signature burritos (crazy good) the above refried beans with some cheese, wrapped in a tortilla and then in foil placed on the radiator/engine for a couple hours make a super duper quick and easy trail lunch!

Dan

 

[splitshot]

A big pot of beans are the best staple for any outing.

Pintos, slowcooked with 1 pound of chopped bacon, a whole garlic, and a 2 or 3 chipolte chilis in adobo sauce goes well with several dinners.

One of our favorites.

 

[copasspupil]

This board is becoming like a cruisership. It's 11pm and I want to eat.

 

[Combat Chuck]

I will never argue with a good pot of red beans and rice!

 

[splitshot]

This board is becoming like a cruisership. It's 11pm and I want to eat.

My wife gives me crap about scoping out restaurants online before we travel.


Hmmm, frybread tacos w/beans, it's what's for dinner...

 

[copasspupil]

Rub it in some more why don't you.

 

[splitshot]

Rub it in some more why don't you.

Hey, all you need to do is take over in the cooking department..

Some long hard days at work, it's a drag, but it somthing to look foward to. The ultimate IMO, would be wrenching at home and planning for dinner about 10am.

 

[Combat Chuck]

Hey, all you need to do is take over in the cooking department..

Some long hard days at work, it's a drag, but it somthing to look foward to. The ultimate IMO, would be wrenching at home and planning for dinner about 10am.

totally.
And beans are a great place to begin, because you can just start 'em in the crockpot, and forget 'em at work for a while. Come home to a nice, hot, good-for-the-soul-and-body dinner.

shoot, I could make a living on various combinations of beans and rice.

Try this out:
2lbs dry beans (I like kidney or black beans for this)
1 green bell pepper
1 white onion
3 ribs celery
1T dry thyme
2 bay leaves
1 ham hock, or 1lb pickled pork shoulder (if you can find it)
Salt and pepper to taste
chicken stock to cover.

Morning before work:

Sautee up the veggies, add to crock pot.
Rinse the beans, and pick through them to make sure you don't have any rocks getting in, add to the crock pot
Add the pork
Boil up the broth in the microwave, add to the pot
Add thyme and leaves
Lid up, and leave the crock going on medium before departing for the ol' 9-to-5.

When you get home, season the beans to taste, and serve on corn tortillas, over steamed rice with your favorite hot sauce.

Some tips:
-You can soak the beans if you like. I generally don't, because I like the starchy burst beans.
-A couple hours before serving, I like to boost up the heat to evaporate out any excess water, and partially mash the beans with a potato masher.
-Serving with a starch makes it a complete protein. Pretty neat.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Not exactly campfire food per se .....

Dan

Au contraire, mon frère, beans are the prototypical campfire food.




I can eat pinto beans simply cooked with salt pepper and some onion.

For Navy beans I use smoked ham shank, carrots, onion and course ground black pepper(no salt). In place of water I use chicken broth. Throw all that stuff in the crock pot for about five hours (high for the first hour then reduce to low). Or you can start it in the morning and leave it on low all day.

We usually serve it with corn bread.

Someday I'll finish my mobile slow cooker. I have the rear heater core from my FJ40, and an old pressure cooker. I should be able to combine the two into a sealed version of the venerable crock pot that cooks using engine heat from the cooling system.

 

[copasspupil]

I do that at work. So much easier to know you will like something at the fire station for dinner when I do it myself otherwise it is a crrapshoot.

 

[splitshot]

I do that at work, I do it myself, it is a crrapshoot.

I feel for ya, hate it when that happens..

 

[copasspupil]

That tooo

 

[Combat Chuck]

Rancho Gordo, Napa CALIF: New World Specialty Food


Dan

Wow, I work ten miles from their door, and have never heard of them before. Let alone, Cal-Mart, one of their distributors, is a haunt of mine.
D'oh!

 

[spressomon]

Wow, I work ten miles from their door, and have never heard of them before. Let alone, Cal-Mart, one of their distributors, is a haunt of mine.
D'oh!

Just cooked up some Snowcaps from RG. Unless you've had dried beans direct from the grower, and especially the heirloom varieties Steve sells, you have no idea how good a dried bean can really be.

You'll find you need nor want nothing more than a saute of mirepoix + garlic and water for your bean cooking medium. Try them...you'll be amazed!

So you're in Napa?

 

[Combat Chuck]

Just cooked up some Snowcaps from RG. Unless you've had dried beans direct from the grower, and especially the heirloom varieties Steve sells, you have no idea how good a dried bean can really be.

You'll find you need nor want nothing more than a saute of mirepoix + garlic and water for your bean cooking medium. Try them...you'll be amazed!

So you're in Napa?

I'm all over.
Homebase is in the Maacamas range near Napa, work's in Yountville, and school's in Santa Rosa.

Next trip out to Cal-Mart, I will snag some of these beasties.
I'm certain I could make a living off various combinations of beans and rice.

 

[e9999]

all right... am fixing an old rusty cast iron beans pot. Starting out the seasoning process, all 3 weeks of it...
After that is done, beans cooking here we come...!

 

[spressomon]

There are fresh cranberry beans at our farmer's markets right now. Shuck them; cook them in salted boiling water for about 20-minutes until al dente then combine with a little melted butter, salt, black pepper and a couple crushed dried pequin peppers and you have the makings of a rustic authentic Italian antipasti!

Super duper!

 

[agomez]

I love to fart and eat beans..

 

[FLATU8ER]

Whistle Berries
My wife thinks I have an alergic reaction to any thing in the Legume Family.
Alergies, Thats my story and I'm stick'in to it.

 

[gonejeeping15]

Love those beans

One smoked ham hock
Half bag of small white beans
One onion
Enough water to cover


Slow cook three or four hours then make a batch of corn bread to go with it. A four dollar meal fit for a king.