Food: Rustic Settlers Beans

I found this awesome recipe in the Save Mart "cookbook" magazine called INternational Good Taste, in the Winter 2010 issue (p.13). I adjusted it and made some changes to our tastes, and included the adjusted recipe below. We absolutely loved it, and can't wait to bring it to summer barbecues, camping trips, and Burning Man later this year. Yeah, it leaves you a little "fragrant" later that night, but it's worth it!

Rustic Settlers Beans, by Barb Dosh

1 lb. ground beef chuck, seasoned (we used cumin, garlic, chili powder, oregano, ground red pepper, and paprika)
1 lb. EACH apple-smoked bacon AND mesquite bacon
1/2 cup sliced lil' smokies
1.5 cups cubed steak (rub with salt, pepper, and garlic before cooking)

2 tbsp. Butter
1 onion, chopped, plus 1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped yellow/red/green bell pepper
1 can diced green chilies

1 can EACH Kidney Beans, Pinto Beans, Pork & Beans, Butter Beans
1 can Lima Beans (optional)

1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup EACH BBQ sauce (we used Jack Daniel's Original #7) AND Ketchup
2 tbsp. molasses
1 tbsp. EACH chili powder AND stone ground mustard
2 Tbsp. carrots en escabeche (marinated carrots)
1/3 cup cooked, diced carrots

Salt & pepper to taste

Optional garnishes: Green onions, thinly sliced; shredded cheese; crumbled bacon

1. In large skillet cook ground chuck until no longer pink; drain and set aside. Repeat with steak, then lil' smokies, then with bacon. Crumble bacon and set all meat aside.
2. Melt butter in skillet. Add onion; sauté until translucent, then add diced chilies, chopped bell pepper, and garlic. Saute an additional 2 minutes. Remove from heat and add BOTH types of carrots (cooked/diced AND en escabeche).
3. In large Dutch oven [or slow cooker] combine beef, bacon, and drained
beans. Add vegetable mixture (onions, peppers, chilies, etc. from Step 2). Place over medium-high heat [or set slow cooker on HIGH].
4. In small bowl mix sugar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard, molasses, seasonings, if
desired; stir into mixture.
5. Reduce heat and cook 1 hour on medium-low on stovetop [or 2 to 3 hours on HIGH
in slow cooker].
6. About 15-20 minutes before serving, prepare sourdough bread rolls. Slice off top of sourdough roll and scoop out centers; set centers aside. Place all bread on a baking sheet and lightly toast at 350-F for about 5 minutes, or until golden and lightly crispy. (Center pieces can be offered as sides or dusted with garlic-parmesan butter and served as toast.)
7. Scoop bean-meat mixture into the sourdough "bowls" and garnish with shredded cheese, green onion, and additional crumbled bacon if desired. Place toasted bread alongside bowls and serve with a fresh green salad.

Serves 12