Author Notes
"Cowboy beans" in vintage cookbooks are often made with baked beans, which are a bit too sweet for me. As a food historian, I'm always fascinated by what people actually ate, and thought this might be a good approximation of what cowboys may have actually eaten. This scratch dish can be a bit soupy, which just means it's perfect for serving over rice or cornbread. To make it even more convenient, you can cook the beans in a crock pot or slow cooker (soak overnight, then drain, add water, spices, salt, and tomato paste) and just add the onion and sausage at the end. —Sewassbe
Ingredients
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1 cup
dried black turtle beans
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1 cup
dried red kidney beans
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1
large yellow storage onion
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smoked Spanish paprika
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cayenne or chli pepper
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ground black pepper
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2 tablespoons
tomato paste
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salt
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1 pound
kielbasa
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1 tablespoon
bacon fat or lard
Directions
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Rinse and sort through the beans, removing any broken, shriveled, or discolored ones. Cover with water an inch over the beans and soak 6-8 hours or overnight.
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In a large, heavy-bottomed stock pot, saute chopped onion in a little bacon fat, and add spices. I usually use at least a teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika, and just a sprinkling of cayenne OR chili powder (because I'm a wimp when it comes to spicy things), but feel free to add more if you like.
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Drain beans and add to the pot. Cover with water by 1 inch. Add tomato paste and stir well to blend. Add 1 teaspoon of salt to flavor the beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook beans until tender (usually at least 1 hour).
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Once the beans are tender, add kielbasa and cook until everything is heated through. Taste for salt and add more if necessary.
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Serve hot over rice or with cornbread. Top with chopped white onion, a little lemon or lime juice, cider vinegar, sour cream, shredded cheddar, or nothing.
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