Mexican Campfire Beans

Coal preparation: As you prepare to cook these delicious beans, there are a few things you need to know about the coals. You should always heat your coals until they begin to look ashy. We use a charcoal chimney to start our coals so there is no need for dangerous lighter fluid. At the beginning of the recipe, you will be browning the meat over high heat; for this step, you will need 10 hot coals under the Dutch oven. Later in the recipe, you will be baking the beans at 350 F; this will require 5 hot coals on the bottom and 15 placed on top of the lid.

1. In a large Dutch oven (at least #10 size) sauté the hamburger meat and taco seasoning over high heat, stirring to break apart. At this point, you should have 10 hot coals under the Dutch oven. This will achieve proper temperature for browning the beef.
2. Once the meat is browned, carefully add the remaining ingredients into the pot. There is no need to drain the meat. The juice will combine with the other ingredients to form a flavorful sauce. Stir well to combine.
3. Place the lid on top. Carefully place hot coals on top of the lid. For our pot, which is a #10 Dutch oven, we used 5 coals on the bottom and 15 on top but you will need to refer to your reference guide for the proper number of coals based on your Dutch oven size. You want the beans to bake at 350 F.
4. Allow the beans to bake for 45 minutes.
5. Carefully remove the lid and stir. Allow to simmer, uncovered (still over the coals), for 15 minutes.
6. Serve and enjoy!

Note: You can easily adapt the recipe for the oven. Simply bake in a Dutch oven at 350 F instead of over the campfire.