Bean Hole Stew Recipes

Steps:

• The bean hole should be 2 1/2 to 3 feet deep, depending on your pot. The hole should be big enough around to have a 6 inch space between the pot and the edge of the hole on all sides. To help hold heat, put some old tire chains or stones in the hole before starting the fire.
• Start the fire and keep it filled with good dry hardwood. Let it burn for about 3 hours. The hole should be at least 3/4 full of hot coals. After the fire has been going for about an hour, place the beans in a large pot, on the stove with water to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until skins roll back when you blow on them, about 45 minutes. Watch closely, because they will get mushy if left too long.
• When the hole is ready, cut the salt pork in to 2 inch wide and 1/4 inch thick slices. Place them into the bottom of the bean pot. Peel and cut the onions in half; lay them on top of the pork. Pour the beans and their liquid into the pot, then mix in the molasses, black pepper and dry mustard. Slice butter and place on top. Add enough boiling water to cover the beans by one inch. Cover the top of the pot tightly with aluminum foil so that it goes down over the sides by at least 2 inches. Place lid onto bean pot.
• Before putting the pot into the hole, remove about 1/3 of the coals using a shovel. Remove and discard any burning pieces of wood. Place the bean pot into the hole, and put the coals from the hole back in around the sides and over the top of the bean pot. Now start filling the hole in with the dirt, packing it down with your feet as you go. You should end up with about 2 feet of dirt covering the pot. Cover the place where the beans are buried with a tarp or piece of metal to keep out rain.
• Let the beans stew overnight in their bean hole. Carefully dig them out the next day and enjoy!

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook, until browned on both sides, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium, add the onion, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook until the onions are soft, about 7 minutes. Add the tomato paste and stir until it coats the onions and is a shade darker, about 1 minute. Pour in the wine and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the skillet. Add the broth, beans, tomatoes and oregano and bring to a boil. Nestle the chicken in the skillet along with any juices from the plate. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken thighs to a platter. Stir the cheese into the bean mixture and season with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh oregano if using. Serve with the chicken and extra parmesan cheese for topping.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onions in oil until tender; add the garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Add the tomatoes, carrots, celery, broth and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15 minutes. , Stir in the beans, tomato paste, chili powder and pepper. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Steps:

• In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the flour, paprika, salt and cayenne. Add beef, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a Dutch oven over medium heat, brown beef in 2 tablespoons oil. Remove with a slotted spoon; set aside. , In the same pan, saute onions in the remaining oil until crisp-tender. Add the water, tomato paste, sage and thyme. Return beef to pan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 1-1/4 hours, stirring occasionally. , Add more water if needed. Stir in beans. Cover and simmer 15 minutes longer or until meat is tender.

Steps:

• Preheat the broiler. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the beans and reserved bean liquid, chicken broth, soy sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer, add the kale and stir until wilted; bring back to a simmer and cook until the kale is tender and the stew is slightly thickened, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, cover and keep warm.
• Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet. Once the oil is hot, crack the eggs into the skillet and cook until the whites begin to set up, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle each egg with pepper, cover and continue to cook until the whites are completely set and the yolks are still runny, about 2 minutes more. Remove from the heat.
• Sprinkle the cheese on the bread, transfer to a baking sheet and broil until melted, watching closely. Cut each slice in quarters.
• Divide the stew among 4 bowls, top each with an egg and serve with the cheese toasts and hot sauce.

Steps:

• Spread the onions over the bottom of a 5 1/2- to 6-quart slow cooker and top with the carrots, garlic, white beans, thyme bundle and sausage links. Mix the diced tomatoes with the broth and 3 cups water and pour over the sausages. Add the Parmesan rind if using.
• Cook on high for 4 to 5 hours or on low for 7 to 8 hours; the beans will be tender and begin to fall apart.
• Uncover the slow cooker, remove and discard the thyme bundle and Parmesan rind and transfer the sausage links to a cutting board. Stir the pasta into the stew and continue to cook, covered, until the pasta is cooked through, about 20 minutes.
• Turn off the heat. Cut the sausages into bite-size pieces and stir into the stew along with the parsley and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with grated Parmesan on the side for sprinkling on top and crusty bread for soaking up the broth.

Steps:

• In a large skillet, cook beef over medium heat 4-6 minutes or until no longer pink, breaking into crumbles; drain., Transfer meat to a 4-qt. slow cooker. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, on low 6-8 hours or until cabbage is tender. If desired, top with shredded cheddar cheese and sliced jalapeno peppers.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, cook sausage and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add the next 11 ingredients. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 50-60 minutes or until vegetables are tender. , Stir in parsley; cook 5 minutes longer. Freeze option: Freeze cooled stew in freezer containers. To use, partially thaw in refrigerator overnight. Heat through in a saucepan, stirring occasionally and adding a little water if necessary.

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in water to cover or quick-soak: Put beans in a large pot, add water to cover by 2 inches and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from heat and allow to stand for 1 hour. Drain and rinse.
• If you don't already have a bean hole, dig a hole about half again as large as whatever pot you plan to cook the beans in. (The key is that there be 6 inches between the top of the hole and the top of the pot.) Build a fire in the hole using about 10 pieces of cord wood. When the fire is burning well, add 10 softball-size rocks, then continue to burn until the wood is reduced to embers. You should have a bed of embers 2 to 3 inches deep.
• Meanwhile, drain and rinse the beans and put them into a 6-quart Dutch oven or other large, heavy pot along with all remaining ingredients except the salt pork. Stir well to combine. Lay the salt pork slices on top of the beans, then add water to cover by about an inch. Bring just to a simmer over medium-high heat.
• Carefully remove the rocks from the bean hole. Put the pot into the hole on top of the embers, cover it with a triple layer of heavy-duty foil, then put the rocks back into the hole around and on top of the pot. Fill in the hole with dirt, covering the pot. Come back 8 hours later, remove the pot from the hole and serve the beans.

Steps:

• Drain the beans through a strainer set over a bowl. Place the beans in a large soup pot or Dutch oven. Measure the soaking water in the bowl, and add enough water to it to measure 2 1/2 quarts. Add this to the pot with the beans, turn the heat to medium-high and bring to a gentle boil. Skim off any foam and/or bean skins.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat in a large, heavy skillet and add the onions, carrots and peppers. Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and fragrant, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add 2 of the garlic cloves and continue to cook for another minute or so, until the garlic is fragrant. Season to taste with salt, add another tablespoon of oil and add the paprika. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until the vegetables are well coated with paprika and the mixture is aromatic. Add a ladleful of simmering water from the beans to the pan, stir with a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom and sides of the pan to deglaze, then stir this mixture into the beans. Add the tomato paste and bay leaf, reduce the heat, cover and simmer 1 hour.
• Add the oregano, the remaining garlic cloves, salt to taste, cayenne, vinegar and sugar, and continue to simmer for another hour. The beans should be thoroughly tender and the broth thick and fragrant. Taste and adjust salt, and add more cayenne if desired. For a thicker stew, strain out 1 heaped cup of beans with a little liquid and purée. Stir back into the stew.
• Just before serving, stir in the parsley. Serve over noodles or thick slices of country bread, topping each portion with a large dollop of drained yogurt.

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large stockpot over medium-high. Add the sausage and brown until cooked through, about 7 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
• Add the tomato paste and cumin to the pot. Cook, stirring, until dark golden, about 2 minutes. Add the carrots, celery, onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the beans, 8 cups water, salt, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a boil. Then reduce heat to low and simmer gently until the beans are tender, about 2 hours, adding more water if needed to make sure the beans remain submerged.
• When beans are tender, return the sausage to the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Taste and adjust seasoning. Ladle into warm bowls and serve drizzled with more vinegar and olive oil.