To Take off the Chill: Sweet and Spicy Cowboy Bacon and Bean Soup
Last Saturday, with the snow and sleet, was a perfect day for staying at home and cooking up a big pot of soup. I was craving a bean soup, but with hints of barbecue and baked beans. After searching the Internet for a recipe, I decided that nothing suited my fancy, so I decided to wing it! I wanted the flavors to be a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy and the texture to be between a chili and a stew. I also decided on making it as meaty and beany as possible, so I grabbed a bag of 15 beans, a package of Country Style sausage, bacon, and a nice thick slick of smoked ham. We were going to do this Cowboy Style!
I did this in my Instant Pot, but the recipe can be easily made in a regular crockpot or on the stove pot. Times will need to vary if you use either of these methods
Sweet and Spicy Cowboy Bacon and Bean Soup
Ingredients
Hurst’s 15 Bean Package
1 lb. Country Style Sausage (or regular ground pork)
8 ou. Bacon
1 Ham Steak, cubed
1 Onion, chopped
3 lg Garlic Cloves, minced
1 Red Pepper, chopped
1 15 oz. can Tomato Sauce
45 oz. Beef Broth
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 TB Chili Powder
1 Tsp Smoked Paprika
3 TB Brown Sugar
Cook sausage and bacon in oven or instant pot. Slice into small pieces.
Saute onion, garlic, and red pepper in instant pot until soft.
Rinse beans and add beans and meats to pot (sausage, bacon and ham).
Add remaining ingredients to pot: tomato sauce, beef broth, and seasonings.
Cook on crockpot setting on high for 6 hours or low for 10 hours. If you get impatient like my husband and I did, cook on high pressure for 60 minutes with 10 minute natural release.
Notes:
Some recipes say to add tomatoes to the beans after cooking them because acidic ingredients can make it harder for the beans to soften. I did not have that problem, but you could always add them afterward if
It ended up being exactly what I was hungry for! Enjoy!
Everything you need to know about cooking holiday meats
At my house, holiday meal planning is well under way. This weekend, I am making a chicken for our Friendsgiving celebration, the following week ham and barbecue meatballs are on the menu, and then we end the holiday season with a lucky pork roast with a side of sauerkraut. I am looking up number of pounds of meat per person, roasting times for each different meat, and sides to match besides. Whew!
So, as I work through the chaos that is Google, I had an inspiration! Why not put together a blog post for my friends out there, so we don’t all duplicate each other’s work during this already busy season? So here it is, folks, the cheat sheet to the holiday cooking exam.
I have listed below:
Holiday cuts
Pastured Pork
Grass Fed Beef
Meat per lb. suggestions
Cooking times
Fully cooked temperature
Pastured Pork
Christmas Ham
Servings: Estimate ¾ lb. per person for bone-in, ½ lb. for boneless
Estimated Cooking Time for “Cook Before Eating” Ham: 20 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees
Cooked temperature: 145 degrees
Ham Steaks
Servings: Estimate ½ lb. per person
Estimated Cooking Time for “Cook Before Eating” Ham: 40 minutes at 400 degrees
Recipe: http://www.willowrunfarmpa.com/blog/sheet-pan-ham-dinner-for-2-4
Cooked temperature: 145 degrees
Pork Loin Roast
Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person
Estimated Cooking Time: 25 minutes per lb. at 325 degrees
Cooked temperature:
145-150 degrees Medium Rare
150-155 degrees Medium
155-160 degrees Medium-Well
160 degrees Well
Grass fed Beef
Brisket
Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person
Estimated Cooking Time: 1 hour per pound at 225 degrees
Cooked temperature:
135 degrees Medium Rare
145 degrees Medium
150 degrees Medium Well
160 degrees Well Done
Prime Rib Roast
Servings: Estimate ½- ¾ lb. per person
Estimated Cooking Time: 15 minutes per pound at 325 degrees
Cooked temperature:
135 degrees Medium Rare
145 degrees Medium
150 degrees Medium Well
160 degrees Well Done
And don’t forget, all these lovely grass fed and pasture-raised meats can be found at your local farm store!
Happy Holidays from my kitchen to yours!