Memphis Soul Pork and Beans

I love to cook...because I love to eat. I've decided to blog some of my favorite recipes. I have to admit they aren't original, and in fact, most of my favorites are either family recipes adapted somehow to suit my taste, or from Real Simple magazine. So, giving credit where credit is due...here's the first. This one is an adaptation from a prepackaged kit. I just didn't want to buy the kit anymore, because I knew it could replicate it. I can't remember what it was called, but I call it Memphis Soul Pork and Beans.

You'll need:
2 large fresh sweet potatoes - not to be confused with Yam, which is the common name for some species in the genus Dioscorea, and can grow up to 2.5 meters in length[2] and weigh up to 70 kg (154 pounds). Cut into 1" cubes

1 cup of dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over

approximately 3 pounds of pork - I like to take a roast, and cut it into 1" cubes. It's easiest to cube the meat while it's still partially frozen.

1/2 cup of barbeque sauce - I prefer a sweeter molasses based sauce

1 package of onion soup mix

14 oz can of diced tomato, or the equivalent of fresh, chopped (about 2 medium)

6 cups water

cumin - about a teaspoon
ancho - about a half teaspoon
chili - about a half teaspoon

Arrange the cubed pork in the bottom of a crock pot or dutch oven. Next add the pinto beans, then the cubed sweet potatoes. Dump in the can of tomatoes. Mix the package of dry onion soup mix with the barbeque sauce and 6 cups of water and pour it over the pork, beans and sweet potatoes. Add cumin, chili and ancho spices to taste. We love cumin, so I use a rounded teaspoon, and about a 1/2 teaspoon of chili and ancho. Cover and set crock pot to low, or place dutch oven on stovetop and simmer LONG and slow - for at least 6 - 8 hours.

Serve it with cornbread and your favorite Elvis CD.