Well, we certainly had interesting weather this past weekend. I loved it! We were able to get our flowers planted and our garden in. The weather helped us get everything watered in. I was reminded of a conversation I had with a couple of friends of ours.
Steve had told us a story about a gentleman who made barbecue baked beans. Steve said the gentleman is gone now, but the beans were the best he had ever had. Thank you Carrie and Steve. I think if I could have someone say, “she’s gone, now, but her (insert food item) was the best I have ever had, I would feel that I had accomplished something.
I made barbeque beans one year for the Fourth of July and they were ok. Not great, just ok. The recipes I’m sharing with you I have yet to try, but I hope to soon.
Barbecue Baked Beans
1 pound dried navy beans, or great Northern beans
4 ounces salt pork, or thick-cut bacon
1 large onion, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 1 1/4 cups)
1 clove garlic, minced
3 cups tomato juice
1/4 cup tomato paste
3 tablespoons unsulfured molasses
3/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons prepared yellow or Dijon mustard
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
10 dashes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
Directions: Put beans in a large bowl; cover with cold water by 2 inches. Loosely cover beans with plastic wrap, and let soak at room temperature 7 to 10 hours. Drain beans; transfer to a large saucepan. Cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer, covered, until beans are very tender, about 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; set beans and liquid aside.
If using salt pork, trim meat from the rind, and cut meat into 1/4-inch dice. Score rind with a knife. If using bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice. Transfer salt pork (meat and rind) or bacon to a large Dutch oven or stockpot.
Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and meat is browned and cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer meat to a large bowl using a slotted spoon, leaving rind and rendered fat in the Dutch oven. Add onion and garlic to the Dutch oven. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is translucent, 4 to 5 minutes.
Stir in tomato juice, tomato paste, molasses, sugar, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, turmeric, hot sauce, 1 teaspoon salt, the beans, and 4 cups reserved cooking liquid. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover, and cook at a bare simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, about 1 hour. Uncover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 2 hours and 45 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper. If not serving immediately, let cool completely, and refrigerate in an airtight container, up to 2 days. Reheat beans over medium-low heat before serving.
Easy Barbecue Baked Beans
1 large onion, diced
2 (16-ounce) cans pork and beans
3 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
4 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 pound bacon strips, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a Dutch oven, mix onion, pork and beans, mustard, maple syrup, light brown sugar, ketchup, and lemon juice. Top with the bacon pieces. Bake, covered, for 45 to 60 minutes.
Crock Pot Pulled Pork
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 (4 pound) pork shoulder roast
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 extra large onion, chopped
2 large cloves garlic, crushed
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
8 hamburger buns, split
2 tablespoons butter, or as needed
Directions: Pour the vegetable oil into the bottom of a slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker; pour in the barbecue sauce, apple cider vinegar, and chicken broth. Stir in the brown sugar, yellow mustard, Worcestershire sauce, chili powder, onion, garlic, and thyme. Cover and cook on High until the roast shreds easily with a fork, 5 to 6 hours.
Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices. Spread the inside of both halves of hamburger buns with butter. Toast the buns, butter side down, in a skillet over medium heat until golden brown. Spoon pork into the toasted buns.
I really enjoy this time with you each week and would love to hear from you. Do you have any requests? Is there a recipe you have been looking for or remember from your younger years? Can I help you find it? Do you have any recipes that are special to you that you could share with us? Please contact me at susieqcooking@outlook.com or c/o Pioneer Times, P.O. Box 456, Houlton, Maine 04730.
