Marlene's Portuguese Beans Made Easy
Winning Friends With Portuguese Beans
When I was a young kid growing up in California, I remember going to Jim and Marlene's house for a BBQ and a swim party. Now summer's here can be miserably hot, and one of the first things you learn as a young boy growing up is to figure out who has the pool in the neighborhood. Once that's accomplished you figure out how to be their friend!
Now I don't remember much more than that, but what I do know is that Jim and Marlene are my parents very dear friends, and they are the type of friends that would never leave you. In fact, if someone were to offer them the whole world in exchange for the friendship, they would simply laugh and choose to stand alongside you. Those are the types of friends you want to have in your life.
One of my clients, Sammy, an old retired Navy pilot, said if you have a few good friends in your life, you are rich. And you know, there's something to be said about that.
Fast forward to this recipe, Marlene's Portuguese Beans. This is Marlene's recipe which was passed down from her parents. This dish has one of the most savory smells that an oven can put out. The aroma of homemade baked beans will remind you of your childhood and coming home to mom's beans. So every time I make this great pot of beans, I think about my parents dear friends!
Because I have so much respect and fond memories of Jim and Marlene, I thought I would share this recipe that Marlene shared with my parents many years ago. Oven baked bean recipes such as this one are a wonderful way to enjoy your Sunday while watching some football.
So this recipe is dedicated to my parents good friends, Jim and Marlene.
Marlene's Portuguese Bean Recipe
6-7 - Cans of Pinto Beans
1/2 lb of Linguica
1 teaspoon of Cumin
1/2 teaspoon of Nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon of Cinnamon
1 T of salt
2 small cans Tomato Sauce
2 small cans of water (same can as above)
2 Medium Onions chopped
Cook Linguica in a sauté pan over medium heat until cooked. Take out and set aside. Use the drippings from Linguica to sauté onion (reserve around 2-3 T of drippings for the onions).
Add onion to the drippings from the Linguica and sauté until translucent. The onions will absorb all the drippings and add some serious flavor to the onions.
Add beans and rest of ingrediens to the pan and stir together.
Remove from sauté pan and place in a large baking dish. Place in oven at 325 degrees and cook for around 4-5 hours. Stir occasionally while beans bake in oven. The smell from this recipe will absolutely be a winner in the kitchen!
Serve with nice loaf of bread and enjoy. Call some friends and share a nice pot of beans together. Serve with a nice Merlot to complement the meal. Enjoy!