Help! Will you send a recipe for American bean stew?

[Dianne]

Hi everybody!

Can anyone send me a recipe for American bean stew? We are having a real debate over here as to what goes into it, and, anyway, now I quite like the idea of making one!

Thanks

ciao a tutti

dianne

 

[oldcoot]

Not sure there is an "American Bean Stew". Actually, this is the first time I've even heard the term. ("Bean stew", I mean).

Since "stew" generally refers to a meat/mixed vegetable dish simmered for long periods to blend flavors, then that old favorite, "Ham hocks & Beans" would, I guess, qualify.

Just white beans, ham hocks, onions, and tomaato simmered with bay and other herbs and spices - there are as many variations as there are cooks. And the result is always flavorful and satisfying..

So I suspect you all are correct as to the ingredients in a "bean stew", Dianne.

 

[kitchenelf]

Hello Dianne and oldcoot!!

I'm a little stumped on this one too - oldcoot gave you the perfect recipe - is this what you were looking for or can you be more specific in your description? I even put chunks of potatoes in my pot of pintos.

 

[Norma]

:?
I'm with 'coot and Elf......new one on me!
Could you mean the tradional American Baked Beans?
Tons of "Bean Soup" recipes...but "stew"?????

 

[oldcoot]

Hey, gang - don't be too hard on Dianne: a quick Google search for "Bean Stew" came up with recipes. None looke particularly "typical American" to me.

 

[Norma]

Coot, did any of them sound really good? If so, share!
8)

 

[oldcoot]

Norma. these old eyes won't let me read stuff easily, so I didn't carefully evaluate any of those recipes for bean stew.

Don't you use Google? All you need do is type in http://www.google.com (or click on that)and then type "bean stew recipes" and you'll get 'em all in seconds.

 

[Norma]

Thanks Coot!

LOTS of "bean stew" recipes....but this is the only one that sounded "American"

Seared cod with bean stew
What can be more Bostonian that cod and beans? Surprisingly, they actually taste great together. You don't need any sides for this dish, but definitely lots of good crusty bread to mop up all the yummy sauce.

Wines: A smoky red
Note: You can get fish stock frozen in many fish markets. Defrost it in the microwave before using. Alternatively, you can use clam juice, or even chicken stock that are sold in most supermarkets.
Serves 4

Ingredients Directions
2 Lb cod fillet at least 1" thick
3 Tbsp butter
salt and pepper
Preheat oven to 425F.
Cut the cod into 4 serving pieces. Rinse and dry very well on paper towels. Heat the butter in a well seasoned or non stick large frying pan on high heat. When the butter is hot and bubbly, add cod and sear 2 minutes on each side or until nicely brown, shaking the pan occasionally so that cod does not stick. Remove to an oven proof dish, season both sides with salt and pepper, and bake in the middle of the oven for 7 minutes or until almost flaky.

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1 Tbsp olive oil
6 garlic cloves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
While the code is baking make the beans and sauce. Set the same large frying pan over medium heat. Add olive oil, garlic and rosemary and sauté until garlic is golden and rosemary releases its aroma, 1-2 minutes.

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15 cherry tomatoes cut in half
Turn the heat up to med-high. Add cherry tomatoes and sauté until soft stirring occasionally, 2-3 minutes.

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20 oz canned navy beans drained
1 1/2 cup fish stock
1 tsp lemon juice
salt and pepper to taste
chopped dill and parsley (optional)
Pour in the fish stock and beans, boil until the sauce thickens slightly, 2-3 minutes. Take off heat. Remove rosemary sprig. Stir in lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Divide sauce and beans among 4 plates, top with cod and sprinkle with dill and parsley.




Copyright © 2002, Yelena Malyutin Rennie. All rights reserved.

 

[leigh]

Hi Gang! My mom used to cook the great big white lima beans - we called them butter beans - with a ham bone and some chopped onion; added pepper and a very little salt when done, and THEN put in some heavy cream, the good old right-from-the-cow kind, about a cup or so to a 4-quart pot of beans. She always served either fresh hot yeast rolls or hot cornbread with them, along with homemade butter and some honey and/or homemade jam.

There's also a 15-bean mix on the store shelves here, which is cooked with a ham bone, onion, and whatever other herbs/seasonings are preferred.

I like to cook beans all night long with no seasoning at all. I bring them to a boil, then turn the heat almost as low as it will go and let it simmer overnight. I usually make my 4 1/2 quart Dutch oven full, which takes about a pound of beans and to the top with water. The pot needs to be stirred and the simmering continued early in the morning. I LOVE the flavor of Great Northerns cooked this way. The long cooking brings out flavors I never knew were there until the time I cooked them s-l-o-w-l-y all night because I didn't want to stay up and babysit them.

Which is how I learned about all the different flavors and textures that different beans have. I guess there are times when laziness has its merits after all!!

 

[Norma]

Leigh, my grandmother cooked "butter beans" the same way....delicious!
And you're right about slow cooking without seasoning overnight for just about any kind of beans...that's the way I like to cook them too. Sometimes I do add a bit of ham/ham hock, depending on the type of bean...

 

[Dianne]

Thanks for the posts - interesting replies. I was wondering myself if there was such a thing as American bean stew, and it appears not, but the recipes and ideas you've posted are all interesting. Here, they reckon you can cook American beans - I think they mean pinto beans - with red wine and tuna, others say the beans should be more of a flavouring for the chili, and they should be black beans anyway. There has been a great deal of discussion about the way beans are cooked in Arizona, but the suggestions remind me more of Mexican Fajoles refritos than anything else, so I am still intrigued as to what they think 'American Bean Stew' is. Does this throw more light on the subject?

ciao

dianne

 

[Norma]

In Texas, pinto beans are used in chili...IF beans are used. Big controversy on that! LOL!
And a "downhome country" meal is pinto beans slowly simmered with lots of smoked ham chunks, served with cornbread, "greens" country fried potatoes, and of course, iced tea.

 

[Dianne]

Help! Will you post a recipe for American Bean Stew?

Norma

You have me drooling at the mouth And I'm now also interested in the recipe for chili without beans. By the way, how do you usually cook black beans? I know very little about American cooking, and am very interested to learn whatever you guys are prepared to teach me. Norma, would you mind posting the recipes for the 'downhome country' meal? I would love to do it here!!

ciao ciao

dianne

 

[kitchenelf]

Pinto Beans, Italian Bean Soup, Black Bean Soup

Norma, you must be my twin - LOL. That combination pinto dinner/greens/etc., has been done over and over at our house.

I put a couple smoked ham hocks, a chopped up white onion, and one chopped up potato that has been peeled. Add the beans and cook accordingly. I always use my pressure cooker because I always wait till the last minute to make my dinner menu.

Then when done I take the meat off the ham hock and when I stir the beans the cooked potatoes help thicken the broth and it makes it more of a soup. I have also made my version of Italian beans, (Dianne, I guess it would be my American version of Italian beans! You can tell me if it remotely sounds Italian! LOL)

Italian Bean Soup

1/2 of a small bag of dried navy beans (about 1 1/4 cups dried)
1# smoked bacon, cut in squares
2 TBS brown sugar (not tightly packed)
1 large white onion, chopped
2 heads of garlic, roasted
5 cups water
fresh cilantro
1 TBS dried oregano
1 TBS dried basil
1 TBS dried parsley

To roast garlic cut off tops, drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and place in 350 F. about 45 minutes. Squeeze out garlic cloves directly into bean mixture before cooking. Sauté onions, bacon and brown sugar until onion is soft. Do not remove the bacon fat unless there is an excess amount. Add water.

Add the fresh cilantro and the dried herbs and roasted garlic. Cook at 15# pressure. When pressure reaches high, turn down and rock gently for 15-20 minutes. If beans are under cooked you can always put lid back on and pressure cook longer. Just don't overcook or you will have Italian refried beans!

Note #2 - Because there was bacon grease left in pot no need to add additional oil. (When you pressure cook beans the oil keeps them from foaming and getting the hole clogged, which then could result in cleaning your kitchen ceiling)

Garnish with fresh cilantro and grated Pecorino, Parmesan, or Gruyere. Serve with some rustic bread and a glass of wine.

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Dianne,

Here is my recipe for black bean soup – if you didn’t want to do the soup but just wanted the black beans still cook them the same way – you could serve them with rice.

Black Bean Soup

You can add a smoked ham hock or pig’s knuckle to give this soup a smokey flavor (which is the way I make it) but for the vegetarian just leave that part out.

2 TBS olive oil
1 TBS whole cumin seeds
2 large cloves garlic, minced
2 large onions, roughly chopped
4 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
2 limes cut in half, squeezed, and then the halves added also
2-3 whole dried chili peppers
1 large green pepper, seeded and diced
6 cups water
ham hock/pig knuckle
2 bay leaves
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp dried thyme
1 ½ cups dried black beans, picked over and rinsed
1/3 cup coarse bulgur wheat (optional and I have never used this)
1 cup tightly packed, minced fresh cilantro/coriander (or parsley if you don’t like cilantro)
1 tsp. salt or to taste
½ cup dry sherry (NOT cooking sherry) (this is optional but it sure gives it a great flavor)

Heat oil in cooker. Add cumin constantly stirring for about 5 seconds. Add garlic, onions and sauté until soft. Add remaining ingredients except the fresh cilantro, salt, and sherry.

Lock lid, place over high heat and bring to high pressure. Adjust to maintain high pressure for about 35 minutes. Let pressure drop or do quick release method. Remove bay leaves and ham hock, dried chilies, and lime halves. This is when I take a stick blender and blend about 1/3 of the mixture. I like my black bean soup really thick. After blending add fresh cilantro, salt to taste, pepper, and sherry. Let simmer briefly, adjust seasonings.

I serve this a couple different ways – I either put rice on the bottom of a bowl, top them with some spring onions and mozzarella, then put soup on top and top with more spring onions.

OR, and this is my favorite way – it depends on what I am having with the soup as to whether I use rice or not in the bottom of the bowl but if using, I just put the rice on bottom, top with the soup, and then top with a homemade, fresh, chunky, pico de gallo.

And actually Dianne, I think we (Americans) stole this recipe from probably Cuba or Puerto Rico! LOL NOTHING is ours to claim except baseball and apple pie (at least I think!)

 

[Norma]

Golly, I'd love to post the recipe for the beans and chili......but I don't have one! I just COOK! LOL!
Next time I make a pot of chili, I'll write down measurements.....actually, when I get a day off from my TWO jobs....I'll post some recipes!

 

[Dianne]

Help! Will you send a recipe for American Bean Stew?

Hi folks!

Thanks for the replies - lovely recipes, I can feel a beanfeast coming on!

Kitchenelf, your Italian beans sound really nice, but the addition of sugar and cilantro are not Italian. What are navy beans? Here we use cannellini beans and pinto beans mostly. Anyway, here is a recipe for Tuscan Bean Soup

500gr pinto beans
1dl extra virgin olive oil
finely chopped white onion, stick of celery and two cloves of garlic
The white part of two thin leeks, chopped finely
1dl home-made fresh tomato sauce
bouquet garni of rosemary and thyme
sprig of sage
two unpeeled garlic cloves

Soak the beans overnight, then cook slowly in water with a pinch of salt added, and a twirl of extra virgin olive oil - I also like to add a couple of unpeeled garlic cloves and a sprig of sage. In a separate pan, sweat the vegetables and the bouquet garni of rosemary and thyme in some extra virgin olive oil. When the onion is transparent and soft, add the tomato sauce, cook over a gentle heat for a few minutes, and then add the beans with enough of the cooking water to make a thick chunky soup. Adjust the seasoning, and serve piping hot. That's the Tuscan version. In Piedmont, they puree half the beans to make a really thick creamy soup. Serve fresh grated Parmesan separately.

In Southern Italy, they add more of the liquid the beans were cooked in and cook 'mezze penne' in as well - this is 'Pasta e Fagioli' (Bean and Pasta Soup). In this case, the soup should look more like a dish of pasta than a soup. Some people like to add finely chopped carrot to the base vegetables - it's still good.

Cooking the beans. I prised this way of cooking beans out of the proprietor of the Ristorante San Camillo, in the Borgo San Jacopo, just off the Ponte Vecchio in Florence years ago. White cannellini beans - especially fresh - are especially good cooked in this way. Depending on what I'm using the beans for, I sometimes add two - three really ripe fresh plum tomatoes as well. The olive oil in the cooking liquid is a must.

The addition of ham is typical of North East Italy, and in Venice, Pasta e Fagioli should have ham in it.

As for me, as soon as I get hold of some ham - difficult to get hold of here, for some reason, - I'm going to make that pinto bean dinner. Then I'm going to do the Black bean soup. Then I'm going to do the recipe with cod. And so on!!!Thanks

ciao

dianne

 

[kitchenelf]

I had a feeling you were going to mention that cilantro I kind of figured that that wasn't quite from the Italian region LOL

Navy beans are like cannellini beans only a bit smaller but you can sure replace with cannellini beans. You can't get smoked ham hocks?? You'll have to take a vacation to Germany and stock up!! LOL

 

[Dianne]

Help! Will you send a recipe for American Bean Stew?

Hi Kitchenelf

They do good ham in Prague, and we've never been there, so next trip away....


ciao

dianne