Round Top Texas Beans

This recipe is adapted from More Cee Dubs Dutch Oven and Camp Cookin' by C.W. "Butch" Welch (Back Country Press, 2000). I last prepared the bean dish at the Carson City Rendezvous last week.

I couldn't locate ham hocks at the local market in Carson City. A pound of breakfast sausage worked just as well.

ROUND TOP TEXAS BEANS

Use a 12-inch camp oven for this recipe. Bottom heat is all you'll need to simmer the beans. Twenty coals underneath the oven will the beans to a boil in quick order. Remove all but eight to 10 coals to simmer. Replace the hot coals every 45 to 60 minutes. You can also cook the beans in the Dutch oven over a propane or gasoline camp stove.

To double the recipe, use a 14-inch deep Dutch oven.

2 cups diced onions
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 pounds dry pinto beans
2 ham hocks
1-1/2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Sweat onions and garlic in vegetable oil until soft. Add beans to camp oven and cover with water. Add ham hocks and place camp oven over a bed of coals. Simmer the beans for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until tender. Add spices, stir and continue to simmer to develop flavor. The beans will thicken as they cook. Makes 16 (1-cup) or 32 (1/2-cup) servings.

Cee Dub said: "The longer they cook, the better they get! Serve with some fresh chopped onions, sliced jalapenos and more hot sauce on the side for garnishes. We discovered that some Texans liked them with a splash of vinegar, and still others liked them with a little sugar sprinkled on top."