Washing my hands, preparing to handle food
I cleanse my mind of same old thinking,
and offer to lend a hand,
freshly doing each task.

by Edward Espe Brown

June 5, 2020

I search for answers, a solution, a shred of hope, a conclusion

to no avail

I look to the leadership and see beetles walking backward

I wail and listen for echoes and then my echoes echo

I wash hands, and cook the fundamentals

To us a gift of Beans

Serve warm, room temp. or cold

Ideal for packing and sharing and serving

Caramelized Baked Beans prepare a body for the tasks ahead

Caramelized Beans

I offer this fundamental bean recipe to you, and

I Let my hands do the making as I cleanse my mind of old thinking.

I Thank Lynn Rosetto Casper and Sally Swift for the recipe and The Splendid Table Http://splendidtable.org

For vegetarians, eliminate the bacon, flavor soars with or without bacon.

Buzz Savories Famous Baked Beans

Buzz Savories Famous Baked Beans are caramelized, sticky, sweet-tart and smoky, perfect for accompanying grilled hamburgers, hotdogs, steaks, chicken, or a ham sandwich. Putting it simply, these beans are famous because of their flavor and the pleasant chew they offer in the mouth.

Course Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine American

Prep Time 25

Cook Time 5

Servings 8 people

Equipment

Dutch Oven or any heavy 6 qt. pot that can go into the oven.

What You'll Need:

1 lb. dried Great Northern beans
1 tsp. ground allspice
4 large garlic cloves coarsely chopped
4 medium onions chopped
1 lb. good-quality sliced bacon sliced into 1-inch squares
4 Tbs. olive oil for the vegetarians at your table
⅓ cup Buzz Savories Spicy Beer Mustard
1 lb. dark brown sugar
½ cup cider vinegar, or to taste
2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

How To Prepare:

Cover the beans with boiling water and soak 2 hours, or cover with tap water and soak overnight, then drain.
Place beans into an oven-proof 6-quart pot and cover with two inches of clean water.
Stir in the allspice, 2 of the garlic cloves, and 1 of the chopped onions. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce to simmer. Cook beans until soft.
Drain the beans, saving the liquid. Clean the pot.
Set the pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Slowly cook until it has given off most of its fat, but the bacon is not crisp.
Spoon off all but about 4-5 tablespoons of the fat. Stir in the rest of the onions and saute' them until soft.
For the vegetarian preparation, separate desired proportion and spoon the beans into a heavy bottomed pot. Add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and a portion of the chopped onions. Saute' the onions until soft.
In both pots, add the remaining garlic and cook about 30 seconds. Return the cooked beans to the pot and stir in the brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, Tabasco, and a good amount of black pepper.
Add about 2 cups of the reserved bean liquid or enough to make a slightly soupy mixture.
Bring to a simmer and taste for sweet-tart balance and salt.

Baking

Bake covered in 325 degree oven for 2 hours.
Uncover and bake another hour, or until the beans are thick and look almost glazed.
As the beans bake, taste them and add more vinegar and other seasonings as needed. Serve hot or at room temperature. They reheat beautifully.

Notes

These baked beans can also be cooked in an InstaPot following InstaPot instructions.

Welcome to the Wildflour Grocer in O’Neill, NE and Andrew’s Garden, Kearney, Nebraska to the Honorable Mustard Merchants. See contact information for these businesses on Buzz Savories website.

Andrew Erickson

Cook the Fundamentals