Cowboy Country
Hacienda de la Canoa Tour
Canoa Ranch in Green Valley, AZ was a working cattle ranch from 1820 to the 1970s. At its peak, the ranch controlled more than 500,000 acres. Pima County bought the 4,800-acre ranch property, about 25 miles south of Tucson, in 2001 with the goal of making it a public site and nature refuge. Today, historic ranch buildings and numerous archaeological sites remain. Visitors are led on guided tours through the historic ranch that was once home to Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, and Americans at various points in history. It gives visitors insights into the fascinating stories of those who lived and worked on the ranch. The ranch often hosts outdoor concerts, events, and presentations.- 1/2 pound of bacon, halved (used thick sliced Applewood)
- 1-1/2 cups diced sweet onions
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound ground beef (85 %)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 can each rinsed and drained, kidney beans, pinto, cannellini
- 1-1/2 cups barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Rays brand)
- 1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons chili powder (taste test)
- 1 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 2 cups water
- Make sauce ahead by whisking ingredients together and set aside.
- In an oven-safe pan or Dutch Oven pan, stove top, fry bacon until crisp. Toward the end of the frying time, add chopped onion and minced garlic. Cook with bacon, and when done, remove everything from the pan to a paper towel-lined towel plate. Crumble the bacon.
- Wipe the grease from the pan and add the ground beef. Cook and crumble the meat, adding the desired salt and pepper amount.
- Pat meat dry from grease in the pan and mix in the sauce mixture.
- Cover and cook 40 minutes in the oven at 350 degrees, or transfer the beans to a crock pot for 3 hours on low.