Miss Bridget served for two years as the company cook to the 72nd NYVI. This make-ahead meal was the most requested dish. Keep your troops happy with this satisfying meal.
The pre-event preparation sounds a bit involved, but your effort is rewarded. This delicious meal comes together quickly and easily for maximum taste with minimum work on site. The meat is made ahead and frozen, then added to the beans and heated before serving.
This recipe serves approximately 25 people.
Ingredients (adjust according to amount of meat):
2-5# cans Van deCamps pork & beans.
5-10 pounds boneless country style pork ribs (enough to fill up a 9X13 baking pan)
3 small cans tomato sauce (or substitute catsup or BBQ sauce)
1/2 to 1 cup vinegar to taste
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 clove garlic freshly pressed
1 finely chopped onion
Black pepper to taste
Pinch red pepper
Trim the fat off the meat. Combine the tomato sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, garlic, onion, black & red pepper. Mix the meat in the sauce until it is well coated. Let it marinate in this sauce over night. Place the meat into baking pan and bake in oven at 300° for approximately 3 hours or until the meat flakes apart. When done take meat out of pan and let cool. Pull (do not cut ) the meat apart into small chunks. Place in an air tight container and place a layer of wax paper or plastic wrap on the top of meat. Freeze the meat.
When in camp and ready to cook, take the meat and place it in a large covered cast iron pot over a medium flame, stir occasionally to keep from burning. Take two cast iron kettles into your tent so you can open the farby bean cans out of sight. Add one can of beans to each pot. Beans should be placed over warm coals but not on hot flame. When meat is nice and hot, add equal amounts to each pot of beans.
Top with chopped onion and chopped crispy bacon. Serve with hot rolls or biscuits.
