Ranch Style Pork and Beans -

Growing up, there were two canned food items that were always in our pantry: ranch-style and pork and beans.

My stepdad loved having a can of pork and beans with his burgers, brats, and other summer main dishes. Ranch-style beans were a go-to side for our meals as well.

This recipe, which I found in my old Oklahoma Senate Cookbook, reminded me of both of those beans. I renamed the recipe (called ‘chalupas’ in the cookbook, but it’s nothing even close to resembling the Mexican flat-bottomed tortilla dish) in honor of those pantry staples because of its likeness to them.

I was pleasantly surprised with how this recipe turned out given the lack of instructions and ingredients. Seriously, the original recipe called for 7 ingredients and the measurements were all sorts of off (1/2 teaspoon for 4 lbs. of meat and 1 lb. of beans? That wouldn’t flavor 2 chicken breasts, much less that amount of meat!). The instructions said to “cook slowly for 4 hours” yet lacked instructions on HOW to slow cook it. It’s a miracle this recipe turned out the way it did!

You don’t need to fear, though. I adjusted the ingredient list and wrote down better instructions so you can recreate this amazing dish in your own home.

Make sure to serve this on top of tortilla chips and topped with lettuce, tomato and cheese. It really sets the whole dish off!

Enjoy!

Ranch Style Pork and Beans

Servings: 6-8
Time: 8 hrs
Difficulty: Easy
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A slow-cooked pork and bean dish served on tortilla chips with lettuce, tomato, cheese and sour cream.

Ingredients

3-4 lb. pork shoulder roast

1 lb. dried pinto beans

2 tsp. Cavender’s Greek seasoning

2 tsp. cumin

2 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. red pepper flakes

1-2 TBS. salt

1 tsp. black pepper

2-3 bay leaves

8 cups water

1/2 cup hot sauce

2 TBS. chili powder

Chopped lettuce, tomatoes, shredded cheese and tortilla chips, for serving

Directions

Trim fat/skin from pork roast. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Sear pork on all sides until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes.
Add beans that you’ve soaked overnight and cumin, Greek seasoning, garlic powder, salt, pepper, bay leaves, red pepper flakes and water.
Place lid on Dutch oven and bake at 300 degrees for 4 hours.
Remove bones from pork and shred. Add hot sauce and chili powder and stir until beans and pork are well combined. Return Dutch oven, covered with lid, to oven for another 3-4 hours.
Serve pork and beans on top of crushed tortilla chips and topped with chopped lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheese. Try topping with chopped onions and sour cream if desired.