Cowboy Beans

Description:

As the name suggests, this dish has its origins with the cowboys of the American southwest. This dish combines many of the common ingredients that cowboys of the 19th century would have had readily on hand (beans, beef, pork and molasses), and is also known as “Chuckwagon Beans”, in reference to the portable kitchens that cowboys brought along during their cattle drives. This dish is most associated with the state of Texas, but is widely enjoyed throughout western parts of the United States.

Ingredients:

• 4 oz ground beef (113 g)

• 2 strips bacon, cut into lardons

• 1 can pinto beans

• 1/2 medium green bell pepper, diced

• 1/2 medium onion, diced

• 1 clove garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup barbecue sauce (see recipe)

• 2 tbsp brown sugar

• 1 tsp hot sauce

• 1 tsp chili powder

• 1 tsp cumin

Preparation:

Put bacon in a pot and turn heat to medium high. Cook until bacon is crispy and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Then add the onion, bell pepper and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Then add the ground beef and break up into small pieces with a spoon. Then add the beans, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, hot sauce, chili powder and cumin. Turn heat to medium and cook for 10 minutes.

Notes:

• Some recipes use a mix of different types of beans, such as kidney, navy and black beans.

• You can use pre-made baked beans in this recipe - if you do, just make sure to omit the brown sugar.