Portuguese Savory White Beans

Full of flavor and minimal ingredients make this one of my favorites meals. Beans are very much a staple in my kitchen. In fact, if you type beans in the Search Box above you’ll have meals for days. (Or click on beans in the category section.) My children never thought of beans as a penny saver meal but definitely this was part of it in the day. Beans were often underrated but today we know of the excellent nutritional benefits with the rise in vegetarian and vegan diets.

Just a word about beans. Have you noticed your dried beans on occasion take more time to cook even if presoaked? The older the beans the longer the cooking time. There is, too, that rare occasion the beans never cook up … So I’ve heard. Another secret, add salt at the end of cooking. Adding salt too soon can toughen the beans.

The addition of meats pack this with flavor! Enjoy!

Recipe

1 Pound dried white beans
2-4 Slices bacon-sliced across
1 Sweet yellow onion-diced
3 Cloves garlic-minced
1-2 Tablespoons tomato paste or substitute 1/2 cup tomato puree
10-16 Ounces linguica-sliced and precooked slightly to render off fat
2 White potatoes-peeled and cubed
8 Ounces cooked ham-cubed or torn into bite size pieces
Salt to taste

Soak the beans overnight (after picking out stones & rinsing). The soaking can be skipped but cooking time often doubles.

In a dutch oven or large cooking pot cook bacon until done. Remove to drain. Pour off all but a tablespoon of fat and leave stuck on drippings. Add onion and sauté until transparent. Add garlic for the last minute.

Add drained white beans to the pot. Cover the beans with a layer of water, about 1 inch for presoaked beans. For no-soak beans add an extra layer of water and watch during cooking to add more as necessary. I often cook beans without a lid.

Cook beans for about one hour then add the bacon and linguica. For the no-soak beans cook longer before adding the 2 ingredients. Now add tomato paste. Add more water if needed to your desired consistency.

As the beans approach the al dente stage add the potato and ham. Continue cooking until done. Add salt to taste.

Desfrutar!