Discussion Thread -> "Beans" Throwdown (Entries and Quality ON TOPIC *CLEAN* Discussion Only)

[Big Kahuna]

I maybe giving away some of my secrets here but I have been trying to crack this hard texture baked bean conundrum for quite some time now and here is what I have discovered. I have tried a hard boil right down to a barely simmer boil after an overnight soak with no discernible differences in final texture, but as "Bob Brisket" said the use of a pressure cooker has gotten me the closest to store bought bean texture to date and is my go to tool for making baked beans. I have found that once this step is complete the cooking process that continues after does little to improve the texture except for one special ingredient and that ingredient is alcohol. The best baked bean recipe I ever tasted was from a co-worker who would cook his beans a full 24 hrs and he would use a dark navy rum in the recipe. As much as I begged him he would not give up his recipe. Hope this helps, I am still experimenting and discovering new things but am still not satisfied. I will continue until I have at least attained my co-workers quality of baked beans.

 

[Grimm5577]

***MODERATOR'S NOTE***

After conferring with peeps regarding Bill's request to alter the special rule he outlined in the category description, as well as avoiding the ultimate mega-dilly debacle that would have ensued with so many DQ's, we will honor Bill's request that all entries are valid provided they conform to standard TD rules. :clap2:

I find it baffling that so many TD veterans failed to follow the special rule that Bill seemed to so clearly define. I'm not sure exactly what the cause of this is, but when you enter a TD, PLEASE READ both the rules and the category description carefully.

Thanks!

????????? :decision::crazy:

 

[Kathy's Smokin']

My baked beans are a lot dryer than those in your pictures. Mine are cooked for over 8 hours. I also always use a dedicated crockery bean pot in the oven, which turns out a totally different product than when I used a dutch oven, before I got my own pot.

A crockery bean pot turns out a totally different product than a dutch oven, eh? My mother was a potter before she retired so I have several containers with lids. They are on the small side for cooking beans but I think some will cook half a pound, maybe a bit more. Good enough while I'm experimenting and figuring it out. Thanks for the tip! :-D

 

[dadsr4]

A crockery bean pot turns out a totally different product than a dutch oven, eh? My mother was a potter before she retired so I have several containers with lids. They are on the small side for cooking beans but I think some will cook half a pound, maybe a bit more. Good enough while I'm experimenting and figuring it out. Thanks for the tip! :-D

Our pot holds 2 qts.
This is the families top secret recipe, never before typed up by me.
Soak 2 C navy beans in 1 1/2 qts water overnight. Simmer in covered pot until tender, about one hour. Drain, conserving 1 3/4 C of the water, put back with beans.
Add 2 tsp salt, 1/3 C brown sugar, 1 tsp dried mustard, 1/4 C dark molasses,1/4 lb uncooked bacon-diced, 1 chopped onion, and 1/2 C catsup.
Cook at 300 degrees for at least 7 hours.

 

[Kathy's Smokin']

Wow, that's wonderful and generous, brother. Thank you so much for typing your family gem out, I will try it when I get back from our 2 night mini vacation. :hug:

 

[dadsr4]

Wow, that's wonderful and generous, brother. Thank you so much for typing your family gem out, I will try it when I get back from our 2 night mini vacation. :hug:

You are welcome. These will be beans that you can eat with a fork, not a spoon.

 

[deguerre]

????????? :decision::crazy:

Yah. No kidding, right? Either rules are followed, or they're not. Precedent has been set.

 

[dadsr4]

Yah. No kidding, right? Either rules are followed, or they're not. Precedent has been set.

I kind of cringed when I read that requirement. Remember the "Just One Bite!" Throwdown? I have a good baked bean recipe, I would have followed the rules myself, but I saw the direction the throwdown was going and chose not to participate.
Besides, I believe there is a precedent of the rules being changed by the person who set them.
Isn't this supposed to be fun? Maybe we should go back to just a paper certificate. There was less at stake.
Plus, what if they had no spoons, just a can opener? What is to be considered to be a spoon? What if they only owned a spork?

 

[Grimm5577]

I kind of cringed when I read that requirement. Remember the "Just One Bite!" Throwdown? I have a good baked bean recipe, I would have followed the rules myself, but I saw the direction the throwdown was going and chose not to participate.
Besides, I believe there is a precedent of the rules being changed by the person who set them.
Isn't this supposed to be fun? Maybe we should go back to just a paper certificate. There was less at stake.
Plus, what if they had no spoons, just a can opener? What is to be considered to be a spoon? What if they only owned a spork?

I agree these should be fun and I don't see how making people follow the rules that get set at a beginning of a throwdown makes them any less fun? It becomes less fun when the rules change to accomadate the people that don't abide by them or when rulings aren't consistent with other rulings. I don't think the prize is what matters to the participants, but more the consistent and fair administration of the throwdown.

In this Throwdown (IMHO) 2-3 Dilly's should have been given out (based on the original rules). Why weren't they? I don't see 2-3 Dilly's as a "MEGA Dilly Debacle".

 

[Moose]

I agree these should be fun and I don't see how making people follow the rules that get set at a beginning of a throwdown makes them any less fun? It becomes less fun when the rules change to accomadate the people that don't abide by them or when rulings aren't consistent with other rulings. I don't think the prize is what matters to the participants, but more the consistent and fair administration of the throwdown.

In this Throwdown (IMHO) 2-3 Dilly's should have been given out (based on the original rules). Why weren't they? I don't see 2-3 Dilly's as a "MEGA Dilly Debacle".

I kind of cringed when I read that requirement. Remember the "Just One Bite!" Throwdown? I have a good baked bean recipe, I would have followed the rules myself, but I saw the direction the throwdown was going and chose not to participate.
Besides, I believe there is a precedent of the rules being changed by the person who set them.
Isn't this supposed to be fun? Maybe we should go back to just a paper certificate. There was less at stake.
Plus, what if they had no spoons, just a can opener? What is to be considered to be a spoon? What if they only owned a spork?

***MODERATOR'S NOTE***

I've been following this closely.

In retrospect, we should have stuck with Bill's special rule, and I can understand others' frustration about changing it after the TD started. :doh:The reason we didn't opt to do that was out of respect for Bill's request and to keep things fun, but I'm seeing now that changing a rule mid-race just isn't fair, and we need to enforce that moving FW.

This also brings up the many times we've had issues with special rules. While they can be fun, there have been quite a few times where things fell apart for whatever reason, and those times haven't been fun.

Maybe it's time to consider eliminating them altogether?

Regardless, please understand we TD moderators are NOT perfect, but we ARE doing the best we can in working hard to keep the TD's active and fun.

More to follow...

 

[Grimm5577]

Thanks Moose.

This also brings up the many times we've had issues with special rules. While they can be fun, there have been quite a few times where things fell apart for whatever reason, and those times haven't been fun.

Maybe it's time to consider eliminating them altogether?

If you would be interested in my thoughts I would be happy to PM you about it.

 

[peeps]

Thanks Moose.



If you would be interested in my thoughts I would be happy to PM you about it.

We would be happy to hear your thoughts...

 

[Kathy's Smokin']

If the special rules are an albatross around the neck of fun, which is what these TDs are about for me, I'm good with eliminating them.

I try to read the description of the TD a few times, when it's called, again while I'm thinking of an entry, again while I'm cooking my entry and taking photos and sometimes just before I post my cook. A little OCD now that it's in my face, what's my preoccupation with rules, anyway? Oh, fark, I'm Canadian. :doh: