Baked Beans

I was given a pressure cooker as a gift a while ago, and haven't had the opportunity to use it.
I hope this will be it's inauguration.
 
I want to get an instant pot to do beans in. I keep looking at them but can't decide on size or functions i want. They can do both pressure cooking and slow cooking so i like devices that are multipurpose.
 
I love to put our doctored beans in the smoker when I can. It adds a great flavor and goes well with smoked pork. Cowboy style beans go well with smoked beef. They aren't sweet at all and usually have one or two dried chili powders in them.
 
oddduck said:
I always buy bush's vegetarian baked beans then add molasses, yellow mustard, and brown sugar then let them bake in the oven til they are bubbly to reduce some of the liquid. Often add browned tofu crumbles and serve on a slice of bread. Heinz has always been considered a lesser quality brand of baked beans in my family. Kinda the bean of last resort so to say. Baked beans for breakfast is a very odd idea.
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That sounds great!
 
buckytom said:
My BIL, now a full bird colonel / West Pointer, has often spoken about his great baked bean recipe. Like they could bring a small nation to its knees.
I always "put in requests" for the recipe, and was rejected with extreme prejudice.
(My sis always used to lament her k.p. duty afterwards).

Turns out that he started with cans of Bush's, then doctored them to his liking.
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That's so funny. When Craig and I first met and we were still partying hard with mutual friends (mostly male, just me and 1 other girl, plus the occasional on and off girlfriend of the others), the guys just loved my baked beans, thought they were the best they'd ever had.

{{Shhh, I got the idea for the beans from the cookbook that came with my first microwave daddy bought for me as a present (at my request).}}
 
oddduck said:
I want to get an instant pot to do beans in. I keep looking at them but can't decide on size or functions i want. They can do both pressure cooking and slow cooking so i like devices that are multipurpose.
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buckytom said:
I was given a pressure cooker as a gift a while ago, and haven't had the opportunity to use it.
I hope this will be it's inauguration.
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I've been using the pressure cooker more and more of late. I was so afraid of it for so long because of the results I had seen as a child from an explosion of one, but finally decided to suck it up and start using it. I've grown to really like using it. Cooks beans thoroughly and in a much, much shorter amount of time, plus it's great for things like collard greens. Still haven't tried proteins in it yet like my mother used to do, but maybe 1 day.

Just be sure and read the directions and follow the safety rules. Pressure cookers are much safer now than back when the above-mentioned accident happened, but you still need to follow the rules. One thing I ALWAYS do before using is hold the lid up and make sure I can see light through the little hole in the lid.
 
medtran49 said:
I've been using the pressure cooker more and more of late. I was so afraid of it for so long because of the results I had seen as a child from an explosion of one, but finally decided to suck it up and start using it.
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I need to do the same - but I've lost the instructions. I tried using it once for gammon and ended up with an inedible dried piece of meat...
 
morning glory said:
I need to do the same - but I've lost the instructions. I tried using it once for gammon and ended up with an inedible dried piece of meat...
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Well I remember mother always using a good bit of liquid when she cooked chicken or beef in the PC. There are lots of pressure cooker sites. I've used them to find cooking times. Maybe try the web site for the manufacturer?
 
I've found that pressure cookers are pretty predictable, once you understand them. The basic rules are:
  1. Use enough liquid to cover what you're cooking. Things get burned when the liquid evaporates and cooking continues.
  2. Don't overfill the pressure cooker. The combination of liquid + other food can't be more than 3/4 of the interior depth. IMPORTANT: if you're cooking rice, it can't be more than half the interior depth because of how rice expands.
  3. Don't feel a need to see the valve on top rocking before you start the timer. I've made this mistake before: I wanted to cook something on high for 10 minutes, but I waited until I saw the steam sputtering through the valve first. It took a while to get to that point, so this meant that it had been cooking for about 15 minutes before I started the timer. The result - a charred piece of chicken - was predictable.
  4. Don't spray water on the valve when you're doing a "quick release". There are two ways to safely open the pressure cooker lid: natural release, where you wait until it cools down on it's own, and quick release. I always do quick release: 1) place the pressure cooker in the sink; 2) spray water all around the pressure cooker sides, and avoid the valve: it will shoot hot water out if you spray on the valve.
  5. If the food isn't done, you can reseal the pressure cooker and continue cooking. One of the things that drives people crazy about pressure cookers is that they can't see how the cook on the food is progressing. Depending on how big a piece of meat you're cooking, it's possible that you've undercooked it. But, there's nothing wrong with resealing the pot and cooking it for another few minutes at a time until it's done.
 
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morning glory said:
Baked beans are ever popular in the UK, although originating from the US. The most popular brand remains Heinz although the pretenders are gaining ground. The sugar content of the sauce has been reduced recently and no-one seems to mind. They remain a best seller amongst all tinned goods.



In the UK we eat them on toast as a lunch or snack and they often appear as part of the famous 'Full English Breakfast' - although purists might not approve. My questions are:

Are they as popular in the States and in other countries represented here; Australia, New Zealand for example?

How do you like to eat them? On toast? Straight out of the tin?
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Whenever I think of baked beans, that scene of cowboys round a campfire from Blazing Saddles comes to mind. LOL

Every once in a great while, I'll eat hot dogs with baked beans and a slice of cornbread on the side.

I guess Beanie Weenies are a thing in some parts. I think I've seen it sold in a can. The hot dogs are sliced in coins and might replace the pork fat. I've also seen hot dogs and a few cans of beans cooked in a slow cooker for a few hours. I suspect some of the canned versions are high in sugar or high fructose corn syrup. Mostly, I think the can versions are more of a convenience food.
 
My wife makes the home made. Its about the only way I'll eat them. She doesn't use recipes. They are slightly different every time. They only constant is that they are delicious! She buys the bags of beans and soaks them in water for a day or two before making them.

We just had them at my poker party on SAT. The guys raved about them!
 
detroitdad said:
My wife makes the home made. Its about the only way I'll eat them. She doesn't use recipes. They are slightly different every time. They only constant is that they are delicious! She buys the bags of beans and soaks them in water for a day or two before making them.

We just had them at my poker party on SAT. The guys raved about them!
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You're going to have to pry a recipe out of her and post it some time. :)
 
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