Cooking Lesson #1067: Bucking Bronco Rodeo Beans

…from the Perspectives’ Kitchen

How you doin’? To those under fifty who grew-up on a ranch where they still say, “howdy,” if I mention the words "cowboy beans" to you, what comes to mind? Probably a delicious and hearty entrée or side. The rest of you may think about the cowboy beans scene in Blazing Saddles. Humorous cultural references aside, cowboy beans are actually great and the perfect accompaniment to summer outdoor barbecues.
 
There are probably as many versions of cowboy beans as there are barbecue cooks. There are usually one or more varieties of beans in the recipes and some also include smoked meat like bacon or a smoked ham hock together with sweet tangy barbecue sauce. What defines my scratch-made Bucking Bronco Rodeo Beans, besides the beans, is a sweet barbecue sauce, smoked ham hock and coffee—yes, I said coffee.
 
Coffee is the secret ingredient in many chili recipes. The story goes back to the days when cowboys added leftover coffee to their pot of beans because fresh water was hard to come by. Coffee adds a depth of flavor and a slight bitterness that keeps the sweet-spicy of the barbecue sauce in check.
 
For the smoked meat, I use smoked ham hocks. The pit masters at Fox Smokehouse Barbecue in Boulder City use shredded burnt ends from their smoked brisket. That’s only one of the many reasons they are considered one of the top 5 barbecue restaurants in America—they’re beans are so rich and meaty.
 
For my Bucking Bronco Rodeo Beans, I cook my beans from scratch, starting with dry pinto beans. The one problem that people can encounter when cooking beans from scratch in a recipe like this is that the beans don't soften up, even with long cook times. Many things can cause this.
 
Beans like to be stored in a cool, dry environment. If you store beans in a humid, warm environment, they'll get harder. Calcium can firm up beans, so if you are cooking with hard water, which can cause beans to be too hard as well (I’ll tell you the hard water story later in this blog). Finally, old beans take longer to cook.
 
Soak the dry beans overnight in plenty of water. This will help "open up" the beans before cooking them. Add a teaspoon of salt and a quarter teaspoon of baking soda to each quart of soaking water. Either will reduce some of the minerals that cause the beans to be hard. Add the barbecue sauce only after the beans are soft enough to eat. All barbecue sauces have sugar and calcium in it that will keep the beans from softening.
 
Bean soak time:  8 hours or overnight
Prep time:  15 minutes
Cook time:  3-4 hours
Yield:  8 to 10 servings
 
Ingredients 
2 cups (about 12 ounces) dried pinto beans
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
6 tablespoons minced garlic
1 smoked ham hock
2 cups water
2 teaspoons kosher salt, to taste
2 cups brewed coffee
1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce (I prefer Masterpiece Original)
2 tablespoons Tabasco Sauce
 
Directions

1. Place the beans in a large pot and cover with a couple inches of water. Soak the beans overnight and then drain.
2. Heat the bacon fat and the vegetable oil in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, lidded pot over medium-high heat.
3. Add the onion and sauté for 3 minutes, stirring often, until translucent and just beginning to brown.
4. Add the garlic and sauté for another 1 to 2 minutes.
5. Add the drained beans to the pot with the onions. Add the smoked ham hock, the water, salt and the coffee.
6. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cook for 1 to 2 hours. (Some beans may take longer to cook, especially if they are older.) The beans should be soft enough to chew but not mushy soft.
7. Add the barbecue sauce and stir to combine.
8. Cover and simmer on low heat until the meat from the ham hock begins to fall apart from the bone, about 2 hours.
9. After an hour, check on the beans every 15 minutes. If the beans begin to break down, remove from heat.
10. When the beans are done cooking, pull the ham hock and strip the meat from the bone. Add the meat to the beans and discard the bone.
11. Add salt to taste.
12. Add Tabasco Sauce for a halo of heat.
13. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Make it a barbecue feast. Serve with grilled chicken, spareribs, smoked brisket, braised barbecued beef sandwiches, fried pickles, coleslaw and potato salad.
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ChefSecret:  If you don’t have time for an overnight bean soak, bring a pot with the beans covered with 2 inches of water to a boil, remove from heat and let soak for an hour, then drain. If you want to use canned beans, use 4 (15-ounce cans), drained—Combine after step 7.  

Quip of the Day:  Q. What do you call a bean with a sense of humor? A. A funny bean!

The Water Story:  During the Civil War, Union soldiers discovered that their ration of beans never fully cooked to softened the beans. Most Southern water was very different than that of the North. The soldiers used to complain that it was the Hard Bean Water—today, it’s just HARD WATER.

A Little Medical Advice (very little):  To reduce the natural flatulence effects (the “fart factor”) of legumes, add a coin sized slice of raw ginger during the cooking process.
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Do you have a question or comment? Send your thoughts to [email protected]. All recipes and cooking tips are posted on our website https://www.perspectives-la.com/perspectives-on-food
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To you and everyone dear to you, be strong, positive, stay well, stay safe and be kind. Take a breath and count your blessings, and if you have a little extra to share with others, please consider donating to  Feeding America, Tunnel to Towers, Union Rescue Mission and/or American Red Cross.

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