Fire Station Cooking: Spicy Beans

By Craig Nelson

This is a recipe that works great as a side to a main course and is easy to prepare ahead of time. Preparing the beans at lunch time and then letting them cook through the afternoon works very well. The recipe was submitted by Gary Larsen from Moorhead, Minnesota, (way up in “uffda, you betcha” country). Gary has been a firefighter in Moorhead for 15 years. Originally, he lived in Duluth, Minnesota, where he grew up and went to fire school. The Moorhead Fire Department is made up of a full-time staff of 34. They protect the city and neighboring areas from two fire stations.

(1) Gary and his crew.

We made the beans as a crew and began preparing the recipe at lunch time. Preparing the beans over lunch was quick and easy. We let them sit in the Crock-Pot® (slow cooker for those not so close to Canada) on low while we were out for the afternoon. We also boiled our brats (bratwurst) at lunch, so we could just toss them on the grill and brown them at supper time. The recipe calls for eight ounces of jalapenos; we used about six ounces. The beans were just right if you like a little kick. Adjust the level of kick to your appropriate tolerance level. Together, the brats and spicy beans made a great meal. Although we used bratwurst with the beans, many other main course meats would work well.

Ingredients

Chop the onion, jalapenos, and mushrooms. (Gary says, “The smaller the better so crew members who do not like these ingredients don’t know that they are in the beans.”) Put the meat in a fry pan. Add the onions, jalapenos, and mushrooms. Fry these ingredients until the meat is browned. The vegetables can finish cooking in the Crock-Pot® (slow cooker). Drain the beans, and pour them into a Crock-Pot®. Next, add the ketchup, barbeque sauce, and mustard to the Crock-Pot®. Last, add the meat and vegetables from the frying pan into the Crock-Pot®. Set the Crock-Pot® on low for four hours, and enjoy. Gary says that you can also put the Crock-Pot® on high for one hour and then low for one hour, and the beans should be ready sooner if you are short on time. 

Scores

Download a PDF of the recipe HERE.

I am always looking for more recipes. Please share your creations with other firefighters by sending in your favorite recipe. Each article contains a quick introduction to those submitting the recipe, their department, their recipe, and any stories that may surround the legendary dishes. Send recipes to firestationcooking@gmail.com. Please include your name and e-mail address. Eat together when you are able, and stay safe out there.