Smoky Baked Beans (Originally Canary Baked Beans)

Rita~'s Note:

This was my first time having this type of beans. They reminded me of white navy beans.The bacon and smoked turkey wings give this dish a nice smokey flavor. Epazote has a flavor similar to coriander. It is also called Mexican tea or wormseed. I found this dried in Mexican specialty store This is great with beans because it works to reduce gas. This is a very fragrant and flavored herb that takes some time to get used to. Like cilantro, it has a tenacity that is best mellowed by cooking. Its pungency is well complimented by beans, and it has a mellowing effect on other intense spices. Use of this herb dates back to Aztecan times. Name changed by request of Jen.

• Total Time: 2 hrs 20 mins
• Prep Time: 20 mins
• Cook Time: 2 hrs

Ingredients:

Servings: 6

• 1 lb dried canary beans
• 1 large white onion, quartered
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 sprigs fresh epazote (or 1 teaspoon dried epazote, crumbled If desired)
• 1 teaspoon salt and pepper
• 6 slices bacon
• 2 cups salsa (I like spicy)
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 cup water
• 4 ounces pepper jelly (Spicy Habanero Jelly Spicy Habanero Jelly or your favorite)
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro or 1 tablespoon parsley
• 2 smoked turkey wings

Directions:

1. Pick over beans.
2. In a large bowl soak beans in cold water to cover by 2 inches over night.
3. Drain beans.
4. In a 5-quart dutch oven simmer beans, oil, onion, and epazote, if using, in water to cover by 2 inches, covered, 45 minutes to 90 minutes, or until beans are almost tender.
5. Add salt and simmer beans until just tender, about 15 minutes more.
6. Drain beans in a colander.
7. Chop bacon and in the dutch oven cook over moderate heat, stirring, until browned.
8. Add Turkey wings, beans, salsa, beer, water, hot pepper jelly, spices, salt and pepper to taste and cook in a 325 degree oven, stirring, until most of liquid evaporates, about 30-60 minutes.
9. You can fight over the wings or the skin and bone can be discard, shred meat and add back to beans.
10. Serve with white rice.

Reviews

[FLKeysJen]

This recipe's a hidden gem that needs to be discovered! I chose it for the pretty yellow color of the canary beans before they are cooked, for the "Taste of Yellow for Livestrong Day" event. However, this is the perfect baked bean recipe that can be used for ANY beans. WOW is this more flavorful than any baked beans you've had...and spicy...I only used medium salsa so the heat must come from the half bottle of "Texas Six Shooter" habanero jelly I used. The Caribbean market basically had every part of the turkey (and I mean every part!) available smoked EXCEPT the wings, so I went with smoked necks. It was too hard to take the meat off afterwards but they did add lots of flavor just from cooking in the oven for an hour and a half (it took mine longer for the liquids to melt off.) We had coco bread from the Jamaican bakery on the side. I'd recommend changing the name of the recipe - it needs equal opportunity for Zaar chefs without access to yellow beans!