THE SEARCH FOR THE PERFECT COWBOY BEANS 

I first had cowboy beans at my friend Jerri Lynn’s house in 2004. I was so accustomed to canned pork ‘n’ beans that I had no idea beans could aspire to a higher culinary calling. I would never be the same.

I sought the perfect cowboy beans recipe for quite some time and wrote my own, using some of the recipes I discovered to guide me.

The recipe below, titled “Boom Boom Legumes,” is sure to tantalize taste buds this fourth of July. It is also likely to produce fireworks of a different kind after several hours have passed. Hence the name of the recipe.

I have taken this side dish to many events, and it is always met with rabid enthusiasm and requests for the recipe. Today I am making this recipe public.

If you misuse it, the cowboy bean commission will hunt you down, fine you, and confiscate your sorry excuse for Boom Boom Legumes. So be good to the beans. Treat them right.

IF YOU MAKE THESE BEANS, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL AT [email protected] OR CONTACT ME VIA TWEET AT @SAINT_UPID. I WOULD LOVE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE!

THE INGREDIENTS

1 lb. pork sausage

1/2 lb. center cut bacon, cooked and crumbled

1 small white onion, chopped

1 15 oz. can black beans

1 15 oz. can dark red kidney beans

1 15 oz. can pinto beans

1 15 oz. can pork ‘n’ beans

1/2 of a 7 oz. can of chipotle peppers (or 4 whole chipotle peppers) in adobo sauce, pureed

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 Tbs. honey mustard

2 Tbs. blackstrap molasses

1/4 cup ketchup

1/4 cup BBQ sauce of your choice

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Brown the sausage in a pan. Drain off the grease. For a healthier substitute, use turkey sausage.

2. While browning the sausage, cook the bacon in a pan. After removing it from the pan and allowing it to cool, crumble it.

3. Pour browned sausage, bacon, and the rest of the ingredients into a large mixing bowl and stir.

4. Pour the mixed ingredients into a large (9″ x 13″) casserole pan and cover with foil.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for an hour.

NOTE: I also enjoy making this side dish in a crockpot. Usually, setting it on low for 3-4 hours is adequate. Setting the bacon aside and crumbling it over the mix in the casserole pan is also delightful

“Chad Thomas Johnston is an author, sonuva’ preacha’ man, PhD-dropout, singer/songwriter, music producer/sonic reducer, daydreaming doodler, gorilla/guerilla publicist, cinemaddict, & pop-culture obsessive. He is represented by Seattle, WA-based literary agent Jenée Arthur, who is currently shopping his debut manuscript to major publishing houses.

Follow Him on Twitter: @Saint_Upid

Read more at Chad Thomas Johnston