White Beans and Ground Beef with tomato sauce, Our Dad Ken's favorite beans

Growing up we ate very little food in rotation. It seemed my folks, Dad especially liked to eat a wide variety of different food. Living in California made this possible. Living in the Marin County area, made this easy. Dad was a commercial refrigeration repairman. He often was called to the docks in San Francisco and worked on some of the largest refrigeration units in "the city" including many on large fishing and crabbing boats.

Food was everywhere, in one form or another. Dad was in the thick if it, everyday. More than once, he came home with some special "find" that captured his fancy in a market or deli tucked out of the way, yet frequented by all the hungry working people in the area. Dad was a "foodie" before the term had been coined, and lucky for him he had a great and loving cook in our Mom.

But these beans were kind of a regular, probably three times a year we would have these beans for supper. Usually on a Saturday, as these beans do take a while to cook. Not a lot of attention, but in fact, about 4 - 5 hours cooking time. Dad could of eaten these much more often, there was only one problem. Mom hated beans. And of course she was rather vocal about it, but she did love Dad dearly so she would put away her opinions and cook these for "Daddy" as she called our Dad.

Recently I have been learning to cook beans, a simple little goal I set for myself, a couple of years ago. I thought for the longest time that I didn't even like beans. Maybe it was something I had heard growing up? But truthfully I enjoy beans. I simply did not know how to cook them. I have had very little success in cooking beans in a slow cooker, so I don't bother any more. And besides, there is such enjoyment in smelling the delicious dish as it cooks away on a lazy Sunday morning. These could be cooked in a slow oven, if you wanted to keep busy with other tasks, or wanted to leave for a while.

 Great Northern beans were used for this batch, they are equally delicious.

I have made a small change to how the beans are made. Mom and Dad both used tomato sauce. One can did not seem to be enough, yet 2 cans yielded beans that had too much tomato flavor. Dad would use a partial second can, Mom always used the 2 full cans. My small change is to use a can of tomatoes and "sauce" them up in a blender. I think it provides just enough tomato flavor. This is a simple dish of ground beef and beans. It is homey and comforting. Serve on a soup plate and pass the salt and pepper.

Our Dad Ken's favorite beans

1 pound of small white beans, prepared*
1 pounds of lean ground beef

1 T thyme
2 or 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can ready to use diced tomatoes
water
black pepper (I use about 7 "grinds" on the grinder)
2 t salt


Brown the ground beef.

 

My beef was a bit watery from being in the freezer, simply let it cook until dry enough to brown.

Add the thyme, garlic and pepper. Continue to brown until the flavors of each are fragrant. Add 3 cups of  water to the pan, stir and simmer the brown caramelized juices off the bottom of the pan.

 

Buzz the tomatoes and 1 can full of water in a blender to make a slurry. Add to the pan, along with the prepared beans. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to simmer, cover pan. Let simmer 2 hours, stirring at the one hour mark and reset the timer for another hour. Add the 2 teaspoons salt. Cover and simmer another 2 hours or until beans are done. If the mixture is a bit soupy, turn the heat up and simmer off some of the liquid.

Serves 8 - 12

It was interesting to take a process that I observed as a kid, and turn it into an actual recipe. I hope you enjoy these beans as much as we did.

As always, thanks for taking a minute to stop and say hello. We appreciate your time and your wonderful comments!.



* soak beans over night in plenty of water, drain and rinse.OR  For a quick soak, put beans in a large covered pan, cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, simmer 30 minutes. Set aside and let rest 1 hours. Drain well, use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use in your favorite recipe.

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