A Hill of Beans...

[Mr. Bones]

Ah'ma start this out, an add to it throughout th day, as demands upon my time permit...

Quickie Bourbon Beans

We had us a lil impromptu cookout at work, last Friday (21SEP18); bosses brought / cooked burgers n dogs, (on a gasser), everybody else was to bring sides, bevs, etc...sign up list showed most had opted to bring chips, paper plates, sporks, napkins, etc...

My plan, all week, was to make some smoker beans to take, but it turned out heavy rain Thursday, so hadda do em inside...

I tried to wait out th rain, which was predicted to pass, but never did, until it was beyond a point of commitment; Time to try an pull a rabbit outta my arse, er, hat... It was approx 2045 when I started, an I needed to try an git some sleep...

While I was warmin up my #6 Sidney -O-, I scooped out a heapin T of hog squeezins from my grease canister, an unceremoniously plopped it therein...

I then chopped up ~1.5 lbs of GOOR chuckie into ~3/4" cubes, then into th bacon grease they went, sprinkled with salt, fresh ground black pepper, HV Steak Seasonin (Montreal), an some Harry Soo's Love Meat Tender, thanks to Huskee ...gonna low simmer em some, pick up some additional flavours...



Mmmmmmmm...Smells Guuudddd!!!!!

[JGo37]

Timely it is! And STL is creeping into fall & turning a bit chili at times too (see what I did there?)... I'm doing Bourbon & Beans tomorrow, and I'll load up a pic for this thread as a complement (see what I did THERE?) to your good taste and timing.


Yes everyone - I put beans in my chili. And that's in t'OTHER thread.

[Mr. Bones]

Forum software won't let me load even one pic, keep on gittin this:

Back to th drawin board...

[Mr. Bones]

Many thanks, raywjohnson !!!

Unlike many, I do fully realize / am aware of my file size(s); once I edited th initial pic down, all was merry!
Thanks fer increasin th max, though I'll try danged hard not to push those Outer Limits!

[Attjack]

Sometimes I get that and when I do I run it through an android app called Photo and Picture Resizer.

[JGo37]

What's not to like about my pic?

[Mr. Bones]

While I briefly simmered ~1.4 lbs of smoked chuckie in some bacon grease in my #6 Wagner Sidney -O-....

I chopped up 1/2 a big ol white onion, 1/2 green bell pepper, 1 average jalapeño, ..
I sprinkled th whole shebang with salt, pepper, an some Harry Soo's Love Meat Tender, thanks to Huskee ...

Then, I give th veggies a run through th skillet, to soften em up / caramelize, some......let em mingle with th beef.

First, th onion..


Next, it was time fer my peppers...

[Donw]

Glad you got the photo thing worked out. It all looks delicious.

[Mr. Bones]

Thanks, amigo!
It turns out okay, in th end...

[Mr. Bones]

Once that my chuckie an veggies were all tickety-boo, I decided to add some beans...yall remember th beans, right? This post is bout them beans...lol (We're jus waitin fer it to come around on th guitar...)

I added 7 28 oz. cans (12.25 lbs.!) of HV store brand baked beans, they have like 7-8 varieties, but this is what I used, this time:

With th chuckie, an veggies, this came out to ~15 lbs., should be enough to feed a few folks (We have like~25-30, combined Shops, on any given day..)

[Donw]

My question now is exactly how high of a hill of beans does 12.25 lbs of beans create? Can I see it on Google Earth? 🤔 And finally, do you get to name it?

[Mr. Bones]

Way I reckon it, it don't amount to a... " ", hence th title

I regret to inform ya that I have no more informed answer, at this particular juncture...

Donw

[MBMorgan]

I gotta admit, when I first saw "A Hill of Beans", I immediately flashed back to an (almost) completely unrelated old SNL bit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ku42Iszh9KM

[JGo37]

Gawd I miss Phil...

[JGo37]

This doesn't really amount to a Hill of Beans. Anyhow Mr. Bones I did get those beans going today. Nothing quite like your sequence of events, but they are rendering right now. I'll edit this and add the last pic when they're done.

[JGo37]

Mr. Bones Next time, every time from now on, I'm wearing latex gloves. I've got one eye shut this morning. I'm hoping it will be OK on it's own in a couple days. There are Habaneros in there. The little ones at 3 O'clock,

[Mr. Bones]

How's yer eyebulb doin now, amigo? Gittin better, I'd hope...
Hope ya managed to git a finished pic; I'd love to see em...

[JGo37]

Mr. Bones I haven't taken a pic of anything since the BBQ massacree. I can see to drive now. I did buy a box of nitrile gloves last night - still too scared to finish the peppers. My wife - if you 'member what that is - says my cornea may be scarred. She don't care - hasn't looked at me close in 10 years. ;o) The beans got et immediate. Next time same way, w/pics...

[Mr. Bones]

I mixed in some additional Montreal, garlic powder, onion powder, lil more Harry, an ~ 1 C bourbon...splash of Worcestershire, couple dashes of Texas Pete, mebbe ~1 T of Sandwich Pal horseradish mustard, an even (GASP!!!! ) couple drops each, of both Hickory, an Mesquite liquid Smoke...I also added ~1/2 C each BAC, an Guinness Extra Stout...





I left all this to gently simmer/reduce, uncovered on th stove eye, stirrin frequently, til it was nigh on to Beddie-Bye, then took it all up into a 4" half pan, double cling wrapped it, topped with HD foil, an slid it into th oven at 250°, fer th overnight...

Friday mornin, I give it all a good stir, covered it back up, lowered th oven temp to 170° to hold, an went on in to work...come long bout 1100, I swung by, an fetched it up...(We take our lunch break from 1130-1200)

Despite there bein another big batch of beans brought, (Bush's Grillin, doctored up some), I was left with only ~ 1.5" beans in my pan, an lots of compliments, questions, an requests fer my receipt......

Onliest thing is, they jus don't realize (yet) that it was missin th two most crucial ingredients... Smoke, an bacon...

Summary: While they wasn't "Real" Smoker Beans, they was still Real Dang Good.

Jus wait til next time!

Things learned:

Shoulda followed my instincts, added (raw) th other onion an pepper halves, when I stirred Fri AM; by Go Time, th veggies had cooked down, addin their flavours, but texturally indiscernable...

I also undershot on th bourbon, will up it to 2 C next time, or approx 1/4 C per 28 oz. can o beans...New Rule!!!!!
Oh, it was noticeable, (by all), but I feel it was under represented in th final flavour profile...
Also noted: th Maker's Mark I used is likely too mellow fer what I was after; it is smooth, but largely got lost in th mix...

Next time, I will go with either Knob Creek, Buffalo Trace, or a 50/50 of th two...

They have th bite to shine through, better...

[Mr. Bones]

I didn't git a finished pic, so I'll use this stock photo, with th caveats:

They was over twice as much as depicted here, an
They was no smoke on th 4" stainless hotel pan they was in...

[Elton's BBQ]

Yumm

[klflowers]

Bones!!!

[Sfdrew28]

With the time horizon of the cook did you consider using dried beans? Did the canned beans hold up well in the overnight cook?
Good point on using raw veggies

[Mr. Bones]

Answer: If I'da been able to cook as planned, outdoors, on a smoker,then "Yes", I'da started out with dried beans...
Canned beans were/(still are, still eatin em) a decent al dente, did not break down, turn to mush/paste, etc., usw...

[Sfdrew28]

Thx. I’m thinking of making some on the smoker soon. Recipe search has commenced as I’m going to look on this site as a start.

agreed on the bourbon that makers is too mellow while the others you mentioned will have the kick.

[Mr. Bones]

Thx. I’m thinking of making some on the smoker soon. Recipe search has commenced as I’m going to look on this site as a start.

agreed on the bourbon that makers is too mellow while the others you mentioned will have the kick.

Did ya come ever up with a definitive good bean receipt, brother? Sfdrew28
I'd be interested in what yer research has turned up...

[Sfdrew28]

When I start a new endeavor I like to start with a basic recipe. i followed Meathead's Boston Baked beans last week and I was very happy with them. next time I would add a bit less stock as i like a thicker base. I did use canned beans like you have and they held up well. Next time I will prob do dried.
So to answer your question...no i didn't look far.