This is a recipe that Jim graciously shared on Ray Basso's forum.
Jim is a classically trained chef,comp cook,and pit builder.
It is unusual in that it starts with canned Great Northern beans.
He also adjusts the heat with chipotle powder.
Jim Ball's Baked Bean recipe
Here's the way I make them. It's simple and tastes great:
3 15 oz cans Great Northern Beans, partially drained
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup barbeque sauce
1 tsp ground cumin
1 med onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced--seeds and membrane removed
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped brisket or pulled pork
1 tbsp bacon grease
3 or 4 strips uncooked bacon
Start by sauteeing the onion and bell pepper in the bacon fat until the onion is just starting to carmelize. Add the garlic and continue sauteeing just until the garlic starts to turn color. Remove from heat.
Mix the beans, barbeque sauce, cumin and brown sugar in a mixing bowl. Add the chopped brisket or pork and the sauteed onion & pepper. stir until mixed.
Taste and adjust flavors as needed by adding more brown sugar if not sweet enough or more barbeque sauce if not spicy enough for your tastes. Cayenne can be added to boost heat. Salt will probably not need to be added as there will be plenty from the beans and sauce. If the mixture looks too dry, add a small amount of water or beer.
Pour the bean mixture into a disposable aluminum pan. Lay the bacon strips across the top. Place the pan uncovered in your smoker for the last three hours of cooking. In a horizontal smoker place the pan nearest the hotter end, rotating end for end every hour to heat all sides of the pan equally. In a vertical, place the pan in the hottest portion of the chamber.
The beans are done when the bacon strips on top are done and it is hot and bubbly around the edges. The three hour cooking time is an estimate based on how my smoker performs. Yours may vary.
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My barbeque sauce is spicy, a little bit hot and not very sweet--more of a Texas or Southwestern flavor. To approximate it, start with a mild bbq sauce and add the cumin called out in the recipe. Try adding a teaspoon of Chipotle chile powder and half a packet of Tamarindo paste that has been dissolved in 1/4 cup hot water and strained to separate the stringy stuff and seeds from the pulp.
Jim Ball
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