Clay-pot-cooked Legumes

[rancho_gordo]

I met Tana Butler in Half Moon Bay yesterday just to check out the shop. I'm embarresed to admit that I already cured the pan and made beans so fast. Now you know I'm obsessive, a wee bit.

She also had a red clay line from Oxaca and I bought three comales. I've never had a ceramic comal and I'm thrilled.

had a great time and a lovely lunch with Ms Butler.

[Wolfert]

Those black pots are some of my absolute favorites. Here is a cherry clafoutis I prepared last spring.

This saute pan not ony is great on top of the stove but it bakes batter cakes perfectly.

Edited February 17, 2005 by Wolfert (log)

[rancho_gordo]

ha! I got that one, too. I was thinking more queso fundido, but that looks awfully swell, Ms Wolfert!

Thanks for the tips and inspiration. I have a brisket and chile marinade in the big black pot that I normally would have done in the slow cooker. The black matte versus the blood red of the chiles is beautiful and the whole thing gently resting on a soft flame is much more comforting than the Crockpot logo and ugly floral design on my electric slow cooker.

[Wolfert]

Now, that sounds divine.

Another good quality is you can brown the meat or the onions or whatever before you do your slow cooking for enhanced flavor.

[fifi]

Well!

Thanks a lot you guys!

Now I want one of those too. Queso fundido, dewberry clafoutis, YES! (That groaning sound is coming from my Amex card.)

[andiesenji]

ha! I got that one, too. I was thinking more queso fundido, but that looks awfully swell, Ms Wolfert!

Thanks for the tips and inspiration. I have a brisket and chile marinade in the big black pot that I normally would have done in the slow cooker. The black matte versus the blood red of the chiles is beautiful and the whole thing gently resting on a soft flame is much more comforting than the Crockpot logo and ugly floral design on my electric slow cooker.

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Ooooooooh. I love the looks of the Chamba pots, must have one. Probably the 8 quart.

It looks like it would be perfect for cooking feiojada. Many years ago we had a family of patients who lived half the year in the Valley and the other half in Brazil.

I became good friends with them as their home was close to mine and they taught me how to make feiojada in the traditional way.

One year they brought be a cooking vessel carved from soapstone, lid and all. It developed a lovely patina but I decided I did not want to take a chance on breaking it so have used cast iron instead.

These pots look more like the traditional shapes used in Brazil.

[rancho_gordo]

Well, the beat goes on.

Went to The Spanish Table in Berkeley today (also in Seattle, Santa Fe and at www.thespanishtable.com) and got what i think are going to be my two favorite bean pots.

The two tall ollas are unglazed on the outside and are quite tall and gently rounded- exactly what I think of for a proper bean pot and rarely see. The other is glazed all over and more traditional, so I really don't need it, but I figured what the heck. Having been lucky enough to see Ms Wolfert's clay pot collection in person, I figure I have a long way to go before it's a "problem".

The tall ollas were pretty cheap. I don't remember exactlly but I do know the smaller one was just $20. FWIW, they had excellent saffron for $9, 2 grams.

They are soaking now but will report after the first pot o'beans.

[Carolyn Tillie]

Having been lucky enough to see Ms Wolfert's clay pot collection in person, I figure I have a long way to go before it's a "problem".

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You two are so funny.... I can see it now; "Clay Pots Anonymous" for those addicted to buying and collecting obscure pots from around the world...

[andiesenji]

I must join CPA also as I have a lot of old clay pots and crocks.

The Bauer company in Los Angeles was famous for its "Ringware" and the bowls and tableware have long been collectible. However what most people do not know is that prior to moving to L.A. they were in Padukah, Kentucky and made crocks and jugs as well as other earthenware and also bean pots. I have two of their bean pots, ca. 1900 and several crocks. They are extremely scarce - I inherited mine, and they were the beginning of my collection and fascination with clay pot cookery.

I love the feel of earthenware and clay pots of all kinds, as well as the appearance. The way foods turn out in them is a great bonus.

I mentioned on another thread that when I was a child, my cousins and I used to go fishing some distance from home and for our lunch would bake some of the fish we caught in clay dug out of the stream bank and plastered on the outside of the fish. This was buried in coals and when done, the clay was broken and would expose the flesh of the fish as the skin would adhere to the clay. It was a cooking vessel and plate combination.

Edited April 4, 2005 by andiesenji (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Here's today's dish, Smoked Turkey Leg & Pinto Beans, in a La Chamba casserole. Slow cooked for about four hours in a slow oven (250 F).

[lovebenton0]

Here's today's dish, Smoked Turkey Leg & Pinto Beans, in a La Chamba casserole. Slow cooked for about four hours in a slow oven (250 F).

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your beans look wonderful.

my la chambra soup pot (4 quart) has been water sealed in the oven and is just waiting for me to plop in some white beans. although the usual for me would be to cook these with smoked bird or pork what i have on hand is a couple of round eye beef steaks. so i'm thinking more of a chili style bean with the beef, onions, ancho and habanero pepper, stock, tomatoes, etc. if i brown the beef chunks and saute onions on the stovetop then add the rest and cook all in the oven (taking a cue from from your beans, richard) about 4-5 hours at maybe a bit higher temp for the beef, maybe 275 sounds good to me. hmmmm adding the tomatoes later, after beans have softened a bit?

for stovetop cooking in the future... i do not (gasp) have a diffuser, but am thinking that my la chambra would sit nicely on my wok ring over the gas flame. has anyone tried this? i do have a burner adjusted with a very low level setting.

edit to correct: 4 quart soup pot not a 2 quart

Edited April 19, 2005 by lovebenton0 (log)

[Richard Kilgore]

Thanks, lovebenton0. I suggest 250 for beef also (unless I am missing something), and yes I would add the tomato when the beans are nearly done, since the acid will delay the beans cooking through. Yours may well cook in 2 1/2 to 3 hours --- it all depends on the beans. I apparently had beans that didn't want to be cooked.

[lovebenton0]

Thanks, lovebenton0. I suggest 250 for beef also (unless I am missing something), and yes I would add the tomato when the beans are nearly done, since the acid will delay the beans cooking through. Yours may well cook in 2 1/2 to 3 hours --- it all depends on the beans. I apparently had beans that didn't want to be cooked.

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ok. i was just thinking of other comments on braising beef, needing close to 300 to break down the connective tissue. and these little steaks definitely have some. however with the longer and slower temp it seems it should do the same thing...

you're right, some beans are just stubborn... comes with old age, eh?

but when i do slow cook my beans i do them for about that long anyway when going lower temps.

[snowangel]

ok. i was just thinking of other comments on braising beef, needing close to 300 to break down the connective tissue. and these little steaks definitely have some. however with the longer and slower temp it seems it should do the same thing...

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Over on the Braising with Molly thread, I think we all came to the conclusion that for meat, lower and longer is better. Even at 250, that connective tissue will break down.

[Wolfert]

Do any of you remember Adelle Davis from the 70's? In her book let's cook it right she suggested that you cook braising cuts of meat at the same temperature that you want it to be when it is done. For example, a good pork butt is perfect at 180 degrees internal temperature. She would have you cook it in the oven at that same temperature day and night. It really is a fabulous and easy way to slow cook certani meat and poultry.

[andiesenji]

Thanks, lovebenton0. I suggest 250 for beef also (unless I am missing something), and yes I would add the tomato when the beans are nearly done, since the acid will delay the beans cooking through. Yours may well cook in 2 1/2 to 3 hours --- it all depends on the beans. I apparently had beans that didn't want to be cooked.

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If you think you might have beans that have been stored too long, you might try this. It doesn't always work but I have used it with the "meaty" type large limas, scarlet runners and fava beans.

Soak the beans in cold water for at least 12 hours.

Drain them and put them in a steamer (not a rice cooker but a steamer over simmering water) and steam them for 45 minutes.

Then put them in a pot, add your cooking liquid, water or anything low acid, and cook as usual.

[lovebenton0]

Do any of you remember Adelle Davis from the 70's? In her book  let's cook it right  she suggested that you cook braising cuts of meat at the same temperature that you want it to be when it is done. For example, a good pork butt is perfect at  180 degrees internal temperature. She would have you cook it in the oven at that same temperature day and night. It really is a fabulous and easy way to slow cook certani meat and poultry.

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well that's good, because i've always done them longer and slower before. i can't remember what thread i was reading this morning that had that temp statement, but i thought i'd give that a shot.

never mind. i'll just stick with what i know. especially with you and Adelle, and the braising thread, to back me up.

[Bisou]

Here's today's dish, Smoked Turkey Leg & Pinto Beans, in a La Chamba casserole. Slow cooked for about four hours in a slow oven (250 F).

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That looks delicious...I want that pot now...you're a bad influence!

[lovebenton0]

baked the white beans in my la chamba 4 qt, 4 hrs at 250.... not enough. baked them for another 2 hrs and they just made it in time for dinner. i added the tomatoes at hour 5.

and yes, i do have a separate oven thermometer.

i love my la chamba! so easy to clean up too. and the initial water/oven seal was perfect.

sorry, i have no pics this time, we had an unexpected, semi-regular buddy as dinner guest that night and the guys were scooping out the beans before i could get in there to get a shot.

beans were lovely, spicy, cubed beef was meltingly done, all scooped up with flour tortillas. will do something different, but more soon! promise pics next time if i have to hold them off with my wooden spoon.

edit to add: beans were even better the next day, of course, and i reheated them slowly on stovetop in la chamba. i really love this pot!

Edited April 22, 2005 by lovebenton0 (log)

[rancho_gordo]

I just got this Portuguese pot. It's not really a bean pot but it's a good all round pot you could happily cook beans in and it's safe for stovetop use. This lid is very heavy. And at $20 it's not too much of a gamble. I got it at Sur le Table, a store I am somewhat on the fence about. Actually, I don't enjoy shopping there but this was a good deal.

This one is small but they had bigger sizes as well.

[haresfur]

I re-purposed an unglazed terracotta pot I made for Romertopf style oven cooking as a stovetop bean pot. The black beans cooked with onion, garlic, a little cumin and salt turned out great. The pot didn't suffer any thermal shock issues on the gas stove with no diffuser. I can't remember for sure but I think I fired the pot to cone 06 since I wanted to balance porosity and strength.