A Simple Pot of Beans

I am finally getting really comfortable maneuvering my way around a pot of beans.  After convincing myself that I wanted to learn more about beans, oh, about a year ago, I think I’ve finally arrived at the point where I’m comfortable.  Yesterday I determined that I wanted a pot of beans to accompany some pork tacos, and it was one of those affairs where I just dropped stuff into a pot and was thrilled with the results.

The first step was pre-cooking the beans, using this method.  This time, I opted to use a variety I’d labeled “small red beans”, apparently there were at least two different sizes of beans in the container.  That was okay with me, so I grabbed a few handfuls (maybe a cup-and-a-half) and rinsed them off and then got them cooking.  A few hours later they were soft and perfect, so I turned the burner off and set the pot to the side.  I then focused my attention on building my flavor base, and that began with a scoop of this:

Bacon grease.  This has become a secret weapon in my kitchen, and one that I try to keep in the fridge at all times- it will keep for a very long time if covered.  It isn’t very often that we have bacon in the first place, but when we do, I save the grease to use for beans or for chowders, where the flavor is important, but the actual bacon is not.   While it’s not the healthiest thing in the world for you, we use very little very seldom, so I think it’s worth the splurge.  I used about 2 tablespoons of grease in the bottom of my pot, to which I added half a large yellow onion, diced. Oh, that smell of onion hitting hot bacon grease is fantastic!  After the onion softened, I added a few minced cloves of garlic, and then forgot to add the green bell pepper I had in the fridge.

I went downstairs to get a can of diced tomatoes and some chilies, and was thrilled to see that I had a can of Muir Glen Fire-Roasted Tomatoes with Chilies on hand, so I just grabbed that.  I added that, and about half the can full of water, a teaspoon of salt, some pepper, and I let the whole thing simmer for about 30 minutes.

Now I remember why I don’t buy those tomatoes very often.  They were on sale a few weeks ago, so I stocked up on Muir Glen products, but, um, these ones are hot.  Smoking hot! I had been envisioning the whole family enjoying these beans, and Andy and I adding some Tapatio hot sauce to ours.  We certainly didn’t need that, and there was no way I was putting beans on either of the kids plates.

I added a handful of chopped cilantro, the juice of one lime, and then my beans were ready.  And they were delicious- on the hot side, a bit more than I normally like, but they were exactly what I wanted.

Spicy Red Beans

4 cups cooked red beans, drained (rinsed if canned)

2 tablespoons bacon grease (obviously, oil or shortening will do)

1/2 a large yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 a green bell pepper, diced (or jalapenos) (or omit)

1 teaspoon salt

fresh black pepper to taste

1 (15 oz) can fire-roasted diced tomatoes with green chilies

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Melt the bacon grease in a dutch oven or other pot set over medium heat.  Add the onion, and cook until softened, about 5-6 minutes.  Turn the heat down if necessary- you don’t want them to brown.  Add the garlic and bell pepper if using, and cook for another two minutes or so.

Add the salt, pepper, diced tomatoes and water.  Stir to combine, cover the pot, turn down to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes.

Check for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if necessary.  Just before serving, add the cilantro and fresh lime juice.

Serves about 6 or 7 as a side dish.