Campfire pork and beans

Campfire pork and beans

Winter

I only write down recipes that need to be shared. For one reason or another, they must be cooked again, by someone other than me. We share books for the same reasons: a book you couldn’t put down, a story that haunts you, that makes you feel. You want someone else to have that moment, to live it, like you did. This is just such a recipe; set somewhere between a cassoulet and Boston baked beans. It’s absolutely perfect for cooking around the campfire – rich, hearty and warming. You’ll need to get it going in the afternoon, and then let it simmer away gently, until dusk. Serve with good bread or my homity baked potatoes.

Serves 4

Ingredients

  • 250g (9oz) dried haricot beans
  • 1 tablespoon sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 200g (7oz) bacon lardons or bacon off-cuts
  • 3 celery sticks, cut into 2–3cm (¾–1¼in) pieces
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 7–8 sage leaves, cut into ribbons
  • 1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked and chopped
  • 1 x 400g (14oz) can chopped tomatoes
  • 1 tablespoon light brown soft sugar
  • 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
  • 250g (9oz) piece of smoked bacon
  • 2–3 bay leaves
  • 6–8 pork sausages
  • freshly ground black pepper

Method

Place the dried beans in a large bowl and cover them with water. Add the salt, give the beans a stir and allow them to soak for 10–12 hours or overnight. (If you’re camping, you may want to do this before you leave.)

Drain the beans and place them in a large pan. Cover with more water and set the pan over a hot fire. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook until the beans are tender – about 45 minutes should do it.

Set a large, heavy-based saucepan, that has a lid, over a medium-hot fire.

Add the extra-virgin olive oil and, when it’s hot, add the bacon lardons and fry them until they take on a bit of colour and begin to render some of their fat. Now, add the celery, onion and garlic. Stir well and continue to cook for 5–10 minutes more. Add the sage and rosemary and some black pepper.

Stir in the canned tomatoes, sugar and red wine vinegar. Add the drained beans and about 500ml (17fl oz) of water, so the bacon and beans are covered. Tuck in the piece of smoked bacon and add the bay leaves. Put a lid on the pan and let it cook gently for 2 hours.

When it’s had its time simmering and the beans are meltingly tender, lay the sausages down on the grill over a medium-high heat. Cook them, turning regularly, until they are dark and caramelized, then add them to the stew. If they seem a bit too big, just cut them in half. Continue to cook the stew gently for 15–20 minutes, until the sausages are cooked through, then take it off the fire and let it rest and cool for at least 10–15 minutes before serving.

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