Beans
can be cooked in a crock pot! You may be a bit hesitant to cook beans in a slow cooker, but don't be. I have only cooked fresher beans using this process, not ones that have been shoved back in my cupboard and forgotten for two or more years. I have successfully slow-cooked pinto beans, and speckled bao beans. The following recipe is for speckled bao beans. This variety of bean, (which looks like a light kidney bean with red speckles,) can be hard to find. I ordered about 20 lbs. of speckled baos online from a small organic farmer in California. For this recipe, most fresh beans will be tender in about 7 hours on high. I have soaked beans overnight before cooking, and I have soaked beans for about 3 hours before putting them in the crock pot. Both ways will work, but it depends on the type of bean you choose, and your desired texture of the cooked beans.
Lin's Slow Cooker Recipe:
Spicy Speckled Bao Beans for Two
1 cup beans, sorted and rinsed
1 cup chopped cooked ham
1/2 cup onion chopped
1/2 green pepper chopped
2 stalks of celery coarse chopped
1 clove garlic chopped
3 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1/2 - 1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 drops pepper sauce (Tabasco Sauce is my favorite)
Rinse the beans. Soak beans overnight, or for several hours in the morning. Put all ingredients except the ham and salt in the slow cooker. (Salt can toughen beans if added too soon.) Allow the beans to cook on high about 5-6 hours or until the beans begin to soften. Add the salt. Continue cooking for another hour or until the beans are tender, but firm. Add the chopped ham when the beans are tender, about 20 minutes before serving. Allow about 7 hours of cooking time. Serve with cornbread.
