10 1/2 years ago I had brain surgery. During the recovery stage I constantly found myself in the kitchen. Cooking. Creating. Healing.
The interesting part about healing is that it’s a process. And for me, that journey involved several elements, food being one of them.
Through it all I was never alone. My husband, Randy, was right by my side– even in the kitchen.
How we cooked in our small apartment kitchen! Gipsy Kings blaring and aprons on; we chopped, roasted, seared and flambéed our way through one of the most difficult times of our life.
The time we spent in the kitchen together was a gift. We learned a lot about each other.
I tend to tackle life head on, full of emotion and spirit, sometimes not thinking about the whole process. He approaches life in a rational, technical way, examining the entire situation to gain understanding.
Somehow that translated into the food we made together. Working side-by-side, we would each use our differing perspectives to make delicious, healing meals.
We’re not always in agreement. There are times when he thinks a recipe should be one way, while I think it should be another. Compromise gets us to the final product.
During this time of recovery we dreamed up a restaurant called His and Hers. One similar recipe, two different approaches. We would talk about the dishes we would serve and how his would be different than hers.
While I was developing Hatch Green Chile Baked Beans I found myself at a familiar crossroads. I thought bacon and an oven would be the best approach to the beans. He differed.
‘Pork belly and the grill,’ he said. ‘It will add some smokeyness to the beans and the pork belly drippings will give it that delicious porky goodness.’
Alright. Lets do them both. And we did.
The plan was for me to go to Market Street, pick up all the ingredients and then cook our separate beans at the same time– Top Chef style.
“1 pound of pork belly, please.” Unfortunately the butcher at Market Street did not have any available.
He informed me that they don’t usually carry pork belly, but can always special order products for their shoppers.
What great customer service.
I ordered a pork belly and went home to bake my beans; happy with Market Street and their willingness to help me out.
A few days later the pork arrived and I went to Market Street to pick it up. I told the butcher how much I needed, and he cut off the exact amount. Perfect.
The beans were grilled that weekend, and his recipe was spot on.
His and Hers. One recipe, different approaches, two delicious results.
I hope you will enjoy this new addition to A Pleasant Little Kitchen. Be on the look-out for more His and Hers recipes starting with Hatch Green Chile Baked Beans.
His | Hatch Green Chile Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 pound pork belly, cut into two chunks
- all-purpose grill dry rub
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 3 teaspoon tomato paste
- 8 ounces lager beer, I used Shiner Bock
- 4 ounces water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups chopped broiled Hatch green chiles, click here for recipe
- 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Prepare the grill for indirect heat at 350 degrees.
- Liberally season pork belly with all-purpose dry rub. Set aside
- Place remaining ingredients into a large cast iron skillet and stir to combine.
- Place the skillet onto the grill, using an indirect cooking setup. Place an extra grill grate or wire rack over the beans.
- Place the pork belly on the top grate, centered over the beans.
- Close the grill lid and let cook 1 -1 1/2 hours, or until the baked bean sauce reaches a desired consistency. Stir the beans every 20 minutes. Serve warm.
Hers | Hatch Green Chile Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 3 slices of bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 1/2 cups yellow onion, diced
- 3 teaspoon tomato paste
- 8 ounces lager beer, I used Shiner Bock
- 4 ounces water
- 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard seed
- 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 1/2 cups chopped broiled Hatch green chiles, click here for recipe
- 2 cans pinto beans, rinsed and drained
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350 degrees.
- In a large skillet, combine bacon, garlic and onion. Cook on medium heat for 10 minutes, stir occasionally. Add tomato paste and green chiles to the skillet. Cook for an additional 5 minutes, stir occasionally.
- Pour beer and water into the skillet, and deglaze the pan. Bring to a boil. Add mustard seed, salt, dijon, syrup, vinegar, brown sugar, green chiles and beans. Stir well to combine. Bring to a boil. Place the skillet into the oven and cook for 1 hour, stir once. Serve warm.
Disclosure: This is a sponsored post on behalf of Market Street. All opinions are my own and I appreciate your support of the brands/companies that I love.
