Cowboy Beans

Hey, Pardners! After a hard day’s ridin’ the range (wait a second while I spit  - P-tuui!), Ron likes nothin’ better than sittin’ ’round the fire eatin’ beans! I’ll give you my secret recipe if you promise you won’t share it with anyone. Our wranglers (P-tuui!) eat ’em every night. My beans are so good that even the horses love ’em! 

My beans contain a Highly Secret Ingredient. I’ll keep it to myself until - (P-tuui!) - the very end of this recipe. Do not breathe a word to anyone! In fact, if you make these beans for a crowd, I suggest you don’t breathe, at all. (PS, Pardners: Some like it hot. If you do, you’ll love Ron’s Sweet and Spicy Brown Beans!)

                             This recipe can be made in the oven or in a slow cooker

Cowboy Beans:

1 lb. (454 kg) side bacon, sliced into 1-in. pieces

2 large onions, coarsely diced

¾ c. (180 mL) light brown sugar 

1 tbsp.(15 mL) instant coffee granules

1 tbsp. (15 mL) dry mustard

1-½ tsp. (7.5 mL) salt

½ c. (125 mL) water

¼ c. (60 mL) cider vinegar

(Shhhhh! Six - 14 oz. (398 mL) cans of my Highly Secret Ingredient)

Fry bacon in large skillet over medium heat until almost crisp. Drain bacon on paper towels, saving ¼ c. (60 mL) of drippings in pan. Fry onion until translucent. Add bacon, onion, and remaining ingredients to large slow cooker (see Note). Add Highly Secret Ingredient, stirring well. Set cooker to “low.” Round up some cattle for 6-to-8 hours until beans heat through and flavors are well combined. Serves 12.

Note: If I cut this recipe in half, I sometimes bake the beans in a fancy-schmantzy bean pot at 275 deg. F. for 1 hr. Nervous that my beautiful bean pot might break, I never preheat the oven, letting it slowly rise to the desired temperature with my pot and beans in the oven. My Highly Secret Ingredient appears in most of the photos below. Use any brand you like, in the quantity I've recommended. Just so you're clear on exactly what my HSI is, it also appears in the posting just below this recipe. It’s time fer me t’ get mah spurs an’ go find Ron. Wha-??? Go wash yer mouth out with soap!

Stir onion and fried bacon into slow cooker …

Here comes the Highly Secret Ingredient!

Have a closer look! No one will ever guess!

Any brand will do!