Dec 07 2014
I knew Saturday the wife would be gone most of the day Sunday. I decided to cook some stuff I like that she doesn’t care for. I had a package of my butchers Cajun brats in the freezer so got them out to thaw.
Beans and greens would go with the brats. I had wanted to try some New England style baked beans for a long time. This was a good time to fix them. Most recipes for New England style beans are similar and share the ingredients of molasses, sugar, dry mustard and water as the syrup and made with salt pork and onions. They are cooked low and slow and may vary a little from state to state, Vermont adds some maple syrup.
I had a pound of yellow eyed beans that are a favorite in Maine. I found a recipe for some Maine baked yellow eyed beans. I started before noon since these had to bake about six hours. My beans had soaked overnight so I rinsed them and boiled them in water and ½ tsp. of baking soda. I used some bacon in mine; I have never liked to use salt pork. I mixed up the syrup and got them in the oven at 275 deg. at 12:00.
I checked the beans three times and added some cooking liquid and syrup mix. I took the lid off the last 45 minutes and added what was left of the syrup mix.
For my brats I wrapped 3 of the 4 in some hot capicola and did them on my Traeger at 200 deg. grill level for 45 minutes and then went to 325 deg. for 45 minutes. For the greens I just used some canned mixed southern style. I browned up some bacon and then added some chopped onions and added hot sauce to perk them up a little.
I had some Dijon mustard for my brat and a Deschutes black butte porter to wash all down. The capicola was not great on the brat, dried too much but was crispy and tasted good. The beans were good, tender and very sweet. After a few bites I added hot sauce that went well with the sweet. If I fix them again I think I would double up on the dry mustard. The greens were so so but they worked, a good supper!
I had a piece of my buttermilk pie after all settled. That topped it off!
Bacon and onion in the bottom
Beans for a 15 minute boil
The syrup
Beans and cooking water in
Syrup and butter added
The brats
Bacon and onions for the greens
Greens added
Brats on the smoker
Beans browned up
After stirring
My supper
Smokin Don
Recipe
Baked yellow eyed beans
Ingredients:
1 lb. dry Yellow Eye Beans
½ tsp. Baking Soda
Butter
2 slices bacon or Salt Pork
1 med. onion
¼ cup Sugar (regular or brown, etc.)
1/3 cup Molasses
½ cup hot water
1 tsp. Dry Mustard
1 tsp.Salt, Pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Wash 1 pound Yellow Eye Beans. Cover with cold water and soak overnight.
2. In the morning, drain beans then place in a pot with enough cold water to cover. Add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda. Boil for about 15 minutes. Use a deep pot or watch so it doesn’t boil over it foams a lot.
3. Drain using colander (save this liquid for later use) then rinse beans with cold water.
4. Preheat oven to a very slow 275 - 285 F.
5. Cut two approximately 1 inch square sections from the salt pork then make about 1/4 inch cuts in one direction down to, but not cutting through, the rind.
6. Now, put one of these sections and 1 whole onion (peeled and cut in half) on the bottom of a 1 quart casserole or bean pot. Add the drained beans then top with the other section of salt pork and 1 tablespoon butter (2-3 tablespoons if no salt pork is used).
7. Combine in a separate container: 1/4 cup sugar, 1/3 cup molasses, 1 teaspoon dry mustard, 1 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup hot water. Mix thoroughly then set aside.
8. Add half of the saved liquid (from when the beans were boiled) to the casserole or bean pot. Add any additional regular water as necessary to bring the water level up to, but not covering, the top level of beans.
9. Pour about one quarter of the mixture (from number 7 above) over the top of the beans.
10. Cover, then place the beans in the preheated oven. Bake for 5 hours. About every 1-1/2 hours add enough saved liquid so that the water level is at the mid point of the top layer of beans. Add some of the basting mixture over the top of the beans each time.
11. When beans have cooked for 5 hours, remove the cover and let them bake for about 45 minutes more to brown up the top.
Note: Wiki says yellow eyed beans are similar in taste to navy or great northern beans but superior.
