Pork & Beans

 

 

Serves: 6-8

Preheat oven to 325° F

 

 

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked pinto or kidney beans (2 – 15 oz. cans of beans or 10.5 oz. dry beans)

6 slices bacon chopped, fried until cooked but not crisp, drained

½ cup minced onion, sautéed until translucent in 1 1easpoon of vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vegetable oil

2 medium onions, finely chopped

1 pound boneless pork loin

1 pound smoked ham hocks, smoked ham or pork belly

¾ teaspoon salt

 

Sauce:

1 ½ cups tomato sauce

¼ cup tomato paste

¾ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon allspice

¾ teaspoon cinnamon

¾ cup catsup

2 cloves garlic, pressed

 

 

Directions for cooking beans:

Rinse and soak beans, removing any non-bean particles and beans that float to the top.

 

Soak the beans overnight in cold water that covers the beans.

 

Place soaked beans in a pot of 8 cups of cold water. Bring the beans to a boil.

 

Once beans boil, reduce the heat so the beans are cooking at a lively simmer. Cook until the beans are tender. Add water, as necessary, during the cooking process, to be certain the beans remain covered.

 

Add about ¾ teaspoon of salt to the beans when they start to soften, usually around 1 ½ hours into the cooking time.

 

The beans will take approximately 2 hours to cook, but could take up to 3 hours.

 

Test to be sure they are cooked before draining.

 

Directions for main dish:

Place cooked beans and meat (Any combination may be used. Total meat, without bacon, should be 2 lbs) into casserole dish.

 

Place a frying pan on the stove. Heat. Add oil. When oil shimmers, add onion. Saute onion. Do not brown.

 

Add onion to meat and beans.

 

Combine all sauce ingredients and mix thoroughly.

 

Stir sauce into meat and beans.

 

Bake uncovered in slow oven at 325° F for 2 ½ hours.

 

Remove pork loin and shred. Remove meat from ham hocks, discard bones and skin. Add all meat back into beans.

 

Stir to mix and serve.