Beanhole Beans Recipe 435

BEAN-HOLE BEANS

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!

BEANHOLE BEANS RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• The night before you cook the beans, give them a rinse and put them in a large bowl with enough water to cover by 3 inches. Soak them 10 to 12 hours; add more water as needed toward the end of soaking. When the beans are done soaking, drain well. Put the beans in a 4- to 5-quart pot with enough water to cover by 1 to 2 inches. Set over high heat and bring to a boil; then reduce the heat to a low simmer and skim the foam off the surface. Simmer the beans gently, adding water as needed, until the skins crack when you blow on them, 45 to 60 minutes. When the beans are done, remove from the heat and drain. Preheat your oven to 250° and bring a medium-size pot of water to a simmer. Return the beans to the 4- to 5-quart pot and add the salt pork, ham hock (if using), maple syrup, and onion. Stir; then add the salt, ginger, mustard, pepper, and thyme, and stir. Add enough hot water to cover the beans by 1 inch. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake until the beans are soft and sweet, 4½ to 6 hours total, checking regularly and adding water as needed to keep the beans from getting dry. The finished beans should be tender, not mushy or soupy.

BAKED BEANS TRADITIONAL BEAN-HOLE BEANS

Steps:

• Soak 2 pounds of yellow-eye beans overnight.
• Parboil beans until the skin peels away by blowing on a few beans in a spoon.
• Add the mix to the beans and stir slightly.
• Slice 1 pound salt pork into sections.
• Cut each section partly through in a criss-cross pattern and place pieces on top of the beans.
• Cover the beans and set to one side.
• The bean hole should be dug into the ground and be half again as large as your dutch oven or any other tightly lidded pot.
• Using seasoned hard wood, accumulate live coals until hole is 3/4 full.
• Shovel out the coals leaving about 3 inches of live coals in the bottom of the hole.
• Set the bean pot in the hole on top of the 3 inch bed of coals.
• Shovel the rest of the coals around and on top of the pot.
• Cover with dirt and check for escaping steam and making sure none is leaking out.
• If steam is leaking out, cover area with more dirt.
• Leave in the ground for 8 hours or overnight.
• Note: Make sure the beans are completely covered with hot water before putting in ground.
• The beans need to go into the ground hot.

BEAN-HOLE BAKED BEANS

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.