Cowboy Beans/Blazing Saddles

[txweekendchef]

Was finally able to get some bean humor into the paper today with a story I wrote about making Cowboy Beans

Here is a link to the story.

The Stock Show is in town so we are in full Cowboy mode here in Fort Worth.

Back to the beans. I make my Cowboy beans with pintos, coffee and smoked meat.
I also like adding some kombu (kelp seaweed) to my beans.

Kombu has enzymes that break down the indigestible sugars in beans, making them softer and easier to digest.

If that isn't enough, kombu works all sorts of magic with the taste and texture of beans. They become soft and tender with a thick, silky sauce. The kombu itself does not have much taste other than a salty ocean flavor, but it really enhances the flavor of the beans and adds minerals. It also cuts down on the cook time. Best of all, it dissolves after an hour or so, leaving no trace, other than the beans being more tender and delicious.

All you need to do is fix your beans like normal, just add 2 pieces (3 to 4 inches) kombu to the pot. Start checking your beans early, they will get soft faster with kombu in the pot.

Here are a couple of pics of my Cowboy beans.

[yofi]

It looks fabulous -- especially here, where it's 13 degrees and grey...

Thanks for the tip about the kombu; I'll have ot try that!

[MissingWillow]

How interesting.  Is kombu the same thing as sushi wrap?

[txweekendchef]

How interesting.  Is kombu the same thing as sushi wrap?

No, the sushi wrap seaweed is called Nori and is made from a red alga seaweed. It is actully more easy to find here in the US than kombu.

Kombu is kelp, it is a lot thicker compared to nori. It is used to make the traditional Japaness broth dashi, and is used to season foods cooked in pots, like I did with the beans.

[txweekendchef]

How interesting.  Is kombu the same thing as sushi wrap?

Actually, now that I think about it, I really should have mentioned the difference in the story.