Name: Smoky Kansas City BBQ Beans
Total time: PLACEHOLDER
Cuisine: MidwestAmericanUS & Canada
Ingredients: 4 slice bacon , chopped fine; 1 minced onion; 4 cloves garlic , minced; 1 pound pinto beans , soaked overnight; 6 cups water; 1 cup barbecue sauce; 1/3 cup packed light brown sugar; 2 tablespoons brown mustard; 1 teaspoon hot sauce; Table salt

Why This Recipe Works

We had heard that some Kansas City restaurants suggest cooking barbecued beans on the bottom of the grill—right under a rack of ribs. The idea is that the beans will simmer in smoky heat, catching the drippings from the ribs and becoming unbelievably flavorful. When we tried it, we quickly learned that the beans must be almost fully cooked before they go onto the grill, where they pick up flavor but don’t soften much. We decided to start the beans indoors, putting them on the stovetop at the same time that the ribs went on the grill. After cooking bacon in a Dutch oven until crisp (adding a base layer of smoky flavor) and sautéing onion and garlic in the rendered fat, we added the pinto beans. An hour later we mixed in traditional ingredients—barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, and hot sauce—and simmered for another hour. We placed the pan of beans under the ribs; two hours later, both were done. The smoke and pork flavors make this recipe hard to beat.

Before You Begin

This recipe is meant for a charcoal grill. If you’re cooking on a gas grill, omit step 3 and finish cooking the beans in a 300-degree oven for 2 to 2 1/2 hours.

Instructions

Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans and water and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beans are just soft, about 1 hour.

Stir in 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, hot sauce, and 2 teaspoons salt and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat until beans are tender and sauce is slightly thickened, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too thick, add water.) Transfer beans to 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan and wrap tightly with aluminum foil. Using paring knife or skewer, poke holes in foil.

In step 4 of Kansas City Sticky Ribs recipe (when new coals are added), nestle pan with beans inside disposable pan already in grill. Replace cooking grate and position ribs directly above beans. Cover grill and cook until beans are smoky and completely tender, about 2 hours. Discard foil, stir in remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce, and season with salt. Serve.