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Factor
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This is based on a recipe published in 1828 but reportedly from the 18th century.

The original reads thus:

BEANS AND BACON

When you dress beans and bacon, boil them separate, for the bacon will spoil the color of the beans. Always throw some salt in the water, and some parsley nicely picked. When the beans are enough, which you will know by their being tender, throw them into a cullender to drain. Take up the bacon, and skim it, throw some rasping of bread over the top; and if you have an iron, make it red and hot, and hold it over to brown the top of the bacon; if you have not one, set it before the fire to brown. Lay the beans in the dish, and the bacon in the middle on the top, and send them to the table with parsley and butter in a bason.

I think the cooking directions are for heavily salted, dry cured bacon. This would account for boiling of the bacon, and then browning it. The type of beans used is unknown as well, but as the recipe mentions the color, I am guessing they were something like our pale white “navy” beans of today.

Adapted for today:

BEANS and BACON (for the table)

One pound navy beans
¼ pound thick sliced bacon
Salt
A bunch of Parsley
1 stick of unsalted butter
½ cup of plain bread crumbs

Boil the beans in the pot with water and a little salt and a sprig of the parsley. Boil until tender. You may need to add water, and boiling of beans may take a couple of hours or more. Drain the water off in a colander when done

Dice up the bacon and fry it up. Pour off the grease.

Place the beans in a serving dish and sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top of the beans.

Add the bacon sprinkled over the top of the bread crumbs.

Wash the parsely and finely chop it up. Melt the butter and mix in the parsley, and add this to a gravy boat. Serve the beans in the serving dish, with the butter/parsley in the gravy boat on the side.


I found that if you save three tablespoons of the bacon grease, and three tablespoons of melted butter to that, plus the chopped parsley, and gently toss the bacon and the butter/grease/parley with the beans, then cover with the breadcrumbs, omitting the butter on the side, the dish is better.


Bacon and Beans (from The Pack)
One pound navy beans
¼ pound of dry cured bacon, uncut
Salt
Cayenne pepper
¼ of a round loaf of bread, stale if possible
Water
A large covered kettle
a large piece of cheesecloth
a sharp knife

Dice up the bacon small, and then boil in water in the kettle, covered, for 15 minutes. Drain off that water, and replace it. Boil the bacon for another 15 minutes (cooks it and pulls out the salt.), and drain. Place into a bowl and set aside.

In the large kettle, place the beans and a large amount of water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cover (this saves water). Check the water level as the beans will soak it up; keep the beans covered in water. Cook until tender. You may use the lid, but in a large pot the steam when you drain is often troublesome for the cook, and the lid can get hot very fast. So, you can cover the opening with the cheesecloth, and you should be able to drain the beans.

Slice the bread, and toast it hard while the beans cook.

When the beans are done and strained, add the bacon to the kettle, toss gently. Salt and cayenne to taste, then crumble the toasted bread into crumbs, and again gently toss. Serve.

This uses the least amount of tools, and although the salt is pulled out of the bacon, there is enough fat left in the bacon for good calories for outdoor activities.

LD


It's not what you know, it's what you can prove
 
Posts: 3843 | Location: People's Republic of Maryland | Registered: 10 November 2004Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Factor
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Sounds good,thanks!


Beer is proof that God loves us,and wants us to be happy-B. Franklin
 
Posts: 2014 | Location: Oreegun Territory | Registered: 24 March 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
Picture of LeeRoy
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Now your have done it, I have to get out the bean pot.

LeeRoy


Keep your powder dry.
 
Posts: 171 | Location: Southern Nevada | Registered: 14 January 2012Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Free Trapper
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Beans, Beans.....now you've and made my starvin' for the campfire and a plate heaped up high....Gary


" You do with your scalp as you wish and don't be telling us what to with ours."
 
Posts: 158 | Location: lake champlain, vt | Registered: 03 January 2013Reply With QuoteReport This Post
Graybeard
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Beans beans the musical fruit, the more ya eat the more ya toot, the more ya toot the better ya feel n these sound good enough for a Sunday meal
 
Posts: 229 | Location: Southeast Pa. | Registered: 03 February 2015Reply With QuoteReport This Post
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