This dish is all about FLAVOR. San Antonio and Ft. Worth are my two favorite places to be when in Texas. This recipe was inspired by some dining experiences there and, to my palate, is as Texas as bluebonnets in Spring.
Sweet and spicy, richly textured, these beans cry out for anything BBQ'd, grilled or broiled. Corn on the cob, roasted in the husk and well-buttered, your favorite slaw recipe and honey butter biscuits will make the meal - a great baked apple or peach cobbler will complete it. I usually prepare this dish in a Mexican clay 'olla' or Tuscan 'fagioliera' when serving a few friends, then dish it out at the table as the aromas fill the kitchen. But I guarantee success when prepared in stainless or enamelware. As always, do what you do in YOUR cucina because its really all about the end result - dining satisfaction! If you aren't a pressure-cooker kitchen, there's no sin in using canned beans here. And the longer and slower you cook this dish, the better it will be. So kick the dust off your boots and set awhile. This will be well worth waiting for... Iced tea, lemon or limeade, cold cervezas and margaritas go well with this dish. |
Ingredients
- 2 - 28oz cans of pinto beans, rinsed well
- 1 - 15oz can of pinto beans, rinsed well
- 1 large green Bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
- 1 large Spanish onion, finely diced
- 6 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
- 1 c sorghum molasses
- 1/2 c dark brown sugar
- 1/2 lb apple- or hickory-smoked bacon, finely diced (TIP: freeze your bacon - it makes even and fast dicing a breeze)
- 3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, well minced (you can use less, to your taste - but it should have some body!)
- 1/3 c Jack Daniels bourbon
- 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/8 tsp mesquite liquid smoke
To see directions and other information about this recipe, please follow this link
