cowboy beans for my little cowboy

we’ve been sick this week, we meaning the boy. i talk about him as we, well because, you know, he’s me.

i kind of like saying it by the way. we’re sick, we’re happy.

he’s my mini me. my partner in crime. the love of my life.

so when we’re ill, my mama bear instinct kicks in and i cook to heal.

he has opinions. lot’s of them. and most of them are about food.

he’s a budding chef. a lover of food. we call him a food snob in training.

he knows what he likes. he knows how a homemade bowl of soup makes him feel. he knows i make it with the best ingredient. love.

he watches me cook, he watches what i’m doing and he watches me with love (and lot’s of impatience).

this might of been started in the morning, but he knows, he can smell it, i made it for him.

if it’s not soup he craves it’s beans.

he fancies any kind. my little cowboy got what he wanted, beans. a big pot. enough for days.

enough to stuff in tortillas, to eat over rice, or by the spoonful whenever he is feeling down.

beans for my little cowboy.

please note, he’s not really a cowboy, but when he is sick, well, i call him one, because i can, and he loves my little names i make up for him.

my version of cowboy beans

just a note: the night before you prepare this dish, if using dried beans, soak in water. the next day, drain and use as below. as for the bacon, i use bacon ends (trader joes). I take one big end and throw it into the pot, if using slices, you can either chop or just throw it in. I am the only one who really likes the bacon so i take the chunk and enjoy while everyone makes faces as me.

this could also be made vegetarian with out the bacon. just saying…

1. over an open flame, roast your poblano pepper. it will get blistery and start to char. set aside to cool and then chop discarding the seeds.
2. in a dutch oven heat up a tbl of canola oil. add onion, garlic, both peppers and saute till onion become transparent (about 5 minutes or so).
3. add bacon to the pot and continue cooking for 5 more minutes.
4. add drained beans and mix. add tomatoes and about 3 cups of stock just to cover the beans. mix. add cilantro and mix.
5. cover and simmer for 4-6 hours or more adding stock or water (if it starts to evaporate) and mixing every so often until the beans are soft.
6. take a hand masher, or a fork will do it just gently break up some of the beans.
7. season with salt and pepper, you can take out the bacon but i like to leave it in.

i find when cooking with previously dried beans it sometimes could take a long time to soften. if you cook with the lid covered on a simmer, it takes a shorter amount of time, but the stock will not evaporate. to evaporate the stock (if needed), cook uncovered until mixture looks less like soup.

this freezes wonderfully and tastes even better on day 2.