Cowgirls in the Kitchen with Nan Reinhardt

I was thinking about recipe what I wanted to share with y’all and immediately, my mom came to mind. She was a fabulous cook–not fancy, but always wholesome comfort food. Her mac and cheese was to die for and so was her chocolate wacky cake. So many memories of her are about food and meals together, either in the little house I grew up in or around a campfire in Michigan, where we went camping nearly every weekend all summer long when I was a kid.

One my favorite of her dishes was her pork and beans. I have such fond memories of Mom’s pork and beans, made with a pork roast and beans you’d soaked overnight, then mixed with catsup and mustard, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, and spices. She’d plop that roast down in a Dutch oven, fat side up, pour the bean mixture over it, cover the pan, and bake it low and slow. The scent filled the house. She served it with corn bread—not sweet corn muffins, real corn bread. Man, that was good.

My sister PJ and I talk about Mom’s pork and beans often, and we’ve both tried to copy it because we don’t have anything written down from her. The recipe was in her head and she just tossed it together. As kids, we didn’t pay attention to how she did it and when I called her for the recipe when I was new bride, her instructions were what you see in the paragraph above.  I think I’ve pretty much got it now, though, so here you go… see what you think.

Mom’s Pork and Beans

1 large package of dry great northern beans
1 pork shoulder roast–good sized with or without a bone
1 onion, chopped
1 bottle of catsup
1 Cup of canned beef broth
2 Tablespoons of yellow mustard (to taste)
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce (to taste)
1/2 Cup brown sugar (to taste)
Salt and pepper to taste, along with whatever spices you choose–I add Morton’s Nature Seasoning and a dash of thyme

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 275-300 degrees F

Soak the beans overnight, drain and sort to take out any stones or detritus. Set aside and in the bean pan cook the chopped onion in a little butter until translucent. Remove from the stove and add the beans and all other ingredients except the roast. Mix it all together well.

In a separate large Dutch Oven, place the pork shoulder roast. Now here’s a step that is entirely optional: Sear the roast on all sides in a little olive oil. Mom never did, but I’ve done it both ways and it’s tasty seared or not. Your call.

Either way, with the roast in the Dutch oven, pour the bean mixture over the top of of it, covering the roast. Bake it low and slow for about 6-to-8 hours or until tender (roughly 1.5 hours per pound), or until the internal temperature reaches 200°F (93°C) and the meat shreds easily with a fork. Your bean mixture will thicken as it cooks, but check it now and again and if they appear to be drying out too much, add a little water or extra beef broth and stir to mix it in.

Enjoy! And if you think of it, give Mom a little nod up there in heaven. She’ll appreciate it and be really glad you’re enjoying her pork and beans!

P.S.: Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of this dish–we’re too busy eating to think of photographing it. But if you make it, take a picture and show me, and I promise, next time I make it, I’ll take one and post it to my social.