BBQ Baked Beans

Who does not like  good baked beans with anything BBQ?  Or as a side dish? This is a recipe from my cookbook that I think you will love. The recipe use a technique that I find very helpful for long baking times with any food that you do not want to dry out.  You first cover the top of the pan with plastic wrap and then cover the plastic with foil.  It may sound crazy but it works great.

(BTW - sorry for the break in posting - busy week and several power outages payed havoc with my time and the computers!)

BBQ BEANS

The best beans I ever made!  It takes time but the wait is worth it!

INGREDIENTS

1          #10 can pork and beans

1          cup dark brown sugar

1          large onion – diced small

½         cup of maple syrup

2          cups of ketchup

1          cup of yellow mustard

1          teaspoon chili paste

½         pound of bacon.

Preheat your oven to 275

Mix all the ingredients except the bacon and put in a large pan for baking.  Separate the bacon and lay the pieces on top of the bean mixture.  Cover the pan with plastic wrap and then with foil.  Place in the oven and cook for five hours or until the mixture is thick and the bacon is cooked.  Remove bacon, chop and return to beans. 

Using dry beans – if you wish you can start from scratch.  Use a pound of navy beans.  Rinse and sort to make sure you get all the stones, dirt and bad beans out.  Cover with water and soak over night.  If you have hard water, the beans will not absorb the moisture needed as quickly.  So plan on a long soak or longer cooking time.  When you are ready to cook, drain the beans and add fresh water.  Do NOT cook the beans in the soaking water.  Allow at least 2 – 3 hours for the beans to cook before you start this recipe.  You will want to add celery and onions to the beans while they cook.  Once they are tender proceed with the above recipe.  Taste for seasoning after about one hour in the oven and adjust to your liking.

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Grilled Potatoes for a Summer Meal

A great side dish for steaks, burgers, chicken or anything cooked on the grill.  The basic recipe is for oven baked potato wedges.  By starting on the grill and then finishing either in a grill pan with a cover or in an oven you can have the best of both worlds.

Potatoes – you can use Yukon Gold, Red Potatoes or Russets.  Sometimes I use a combination.  Plan on about one potato for 2 people unless they are small.

Preparation

Wash the potatoes making sure all the dirt is off and the skins are clean.  Examine for any black spots or blemishes that need to be cut out.  For Russets or large potatoes cut them into 8 wedges.  For Yukon Gold you may only get 6 pieces unless they are large.  Red Potatoes I cut into two or three pieces again depending on the size.  Wash and pat dry. 

In a large bowl mix the following:

½ cup of Olive oil

1 tablespoon of finely diced fresh rosemary

1 tablespoon of finely diced parsley

½ teaspoon of cumin

1 tablespoon of kosher salt

After this is mixed thoroughly add the potatoes tossing to coat all the surfaces.  Use tongs to remove and place on a baking sheet.  (At this point you could just bake in a 400 degree oven for about 20 minutes)  Take the sheet to the grill.  Place the potatoes on the grill over low flame.  Turn as soon as you have grill marks.  After about 5 – 7 minutes or as soon as the potatoes have marks take them off the grill.  Put back on the sheet pan and place in a 300 degree oven for 25 minutes or until they are done.  That should give you time to cook the rest of the meal.  You can hold these in a low oven (225 degrees) for up to an hour if needed.  The short time on the grill will add a great taste and look that will complement any grill entre.