BBQ Red Beans

Sharlene~W's Note:

Spicy and a tang of vinegar. Awesome beans, but a bit vinegary. To make it suit my own personal tastes, I added 2 (16 oz.) cans of diced tomatoes and 2 more (16 oz.) cans of beans. My husband insisted I add 1/2 pound of browned ground pork sausage. I also add a teaspoon of baking soda because I've been told it lets the "air" out of beans. Used kidney beans they took several hours of simmering to get tender enough--next time I will try the pink beans. Those of you with a tender palette, beware of the cayenne pepper and use accordingly! What I ended up with was an awesome pot of BBQ Beans.

• Total Time: 45 mins
• Prep Time: 5 mins
• Cook Time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 15

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 5 slices bacon , diced
• 1 cup yellow onion , diced
• ¾ cup celery , diced
• 2 cups barbecue sauce (memphis-style recipe here on Zaar 33814)
• ½ cup amber ale
• ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 ½ cups brown sugar
• 1 ½ tablespoons dry rub seasonings (BBQ Red Beans)
• 1 ½ tablespoons cajun seasoning
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon liquid smoke
• ½ cup tomato paste
• 6 (12 ounce) cans pink beans or 6 (12 ounce) cans kidney beans

Directions:

1. In 6- to 10-quart pan over medium heat, melt butter.
2. Sauté bacon, onion and celery until vegetables often, about 15 minutes.
3. To pan add Barbecue Sauce, ale, Worcestershire, brown sugar, dry rub seasoning (BBQ Red Beans), Cajun seasoning, garlic powder, and liquid smoke.
4. Bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat to simmer and add tomato paste.
6. Stir occasionally and cook sauce for 15 minutes more.
7. Add beans and simmer, stirring frequently, for 1 hour.

Reviews

[J. Ruesch]

These are the best beans that I've ever tried. They leave a spicy (but not too much) yet tangy taste on your tongue that is a real crowd pleaser. I only made a couple of small changes to my own batch. I wanted to see if I could give the beans a little kick by substituting the ale for a corona. I also deleted the dry rub seasoning, and doubled up the cajun seasoning instead. Some people might find that a bit harsh, but even my friends who normally don't like hot food found it to be perfect.