Awhile back, Tom posted Jim Ball's recipe for beans in the smoker that caught my attention. Made a number of ingredient changes based upon personal taste preferences but the method remains the same. The end result was a home run that everybody requests whenever I'm smoking a butt, brisket, or ribs. Recipe follows:
Smoked Beans
2 tbs bacon grease
1 medium onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced--seeds and membrane removed
5 cloves garlic, minced
3 15 oz cans Bush�s Baked Beans, drained
2 cups chopped brisket or pulled pork
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup favorite barbeque sauce
� cup pure cane syrup (Steen�s preferred) or dark molasses
2 tbs worchestershire sauce
2 tbs dry mustard
1 tbs soy sauce
1 tbs ancho powder
1 tbs prepared horseradish
2 tsp ground cumin
3 or 4 strips uncooked bacon � cut in 1� slices
Chipotle powder and / or cayenne to taste.
Saute the onion and bell pepper in the bacon fat until the onion is just starting to carmelize. Add garlic and continue to saute until the garlic starts to turn soft and color. Remove from heat and set aside.
Put the beans in a large bowl and mix in the chopped brisket or pulled pork. Add the reserved onion, bell pepper, and garlic and stir well until mixed. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar, barbeque sauce, molasses, worchestershire sauce, soy sauce, ancho powder, dry mustard, horseradish, and cumin. Add to the bean mixture and stir until well mixed.
Taste and adjust flavors as desired by adding more brown sugar if not sweet enough or more barbeque sauce if not spicy enough for your tastes. Chiptole powder and / or cayenne can be added to boost heat. If the mixture looks too dry, add an appropriate amount of dark beer.
Pour the bean mixture into a disposable aluminum pan. Lay the sliced bacon strips across the top. Place the pan uncovered in your smoker directly under the meat you�re smoking for the last 3 � 4 hours of cooking. The beans are done when the bacon strips on top are done and it is hot and bubbly around the edges