Pork and Beans #ImprovCookingChallenge

 

Welcome to the October  2021 Improv Cooking Challenge. This group is headed up by Nichole of Cookaholic Wife. And I haven't been very consistent, but I love the idea of the group, so I will try to be better in the coming months.

The idea behind Improv Cooking Challenge: we are assigned two ingredients and are challenged to create a recipe with those two things. This month's items: pork and molasses. Here's what the crew is sharing with those ingredients...

• Molasses Roasted Pork Tenderloin by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Baked Beans and Cottage Ham by Palatable Pastime
• Pork and Beans by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Pork and Beans

I started with dry beans. Click for a how-to: here. You can do this the night before and keep in the fridge till you're ready to use them. If you are using pre-cooked beans, I think I had about 4-5 cups. Also, I like adding espresso or coffee to my baked beans for added flavor. If you don't drink coffee, skip it and substitute apple juice or stock. And there are two pork items in the dish: bacon and pork sausages!

Ingredients

• 1 pound dry beans, soaked and prepared (or 4 to 5 cups cooked beans)
• 5 strips thick bacon
• 2 leeks, trimmed and sliced into coins
• 2 apples, peeled and sliced
• 1/4 cup organic ketchup
• 2 Tablespoon mustard
• 2 Tablespoon unsulphered molasses
• 1/4 cup espresso or strong coffee
• 1/2 cup organic dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
• 2 to 3 links cooked pork sausages, sliced into thick coins

Procedure

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large, thick-bottomed pan, cook the bacon and sliced leeks until the fat has been rendered but the bacon is not crispy. Add the apples and beans.

Stir in everything else until well-combined. Place in a baking dish. Bake, covered with foil, for 90 minutes. Uncover and stir in the cooked sausages. Cover again and return to the oven for an additional 30 to 45 minutes.

That's a wrap for the October Improv Cooking Challenge. We'll be back next month with the combination of cranberry and meat. Stay tuned.