Recipe: Barbecued Beans

Barbecued ribs and chicken demand the perfect side service of bubbling
baked beans. Today's recipe is a bit of a misnomer, as it is actually
prepared in your oven a day or two in advance of your cookout, and the
grill is utilized only to reheat the beans and add a little of that smoky
essence to your outdoor culinary efforts. Now, you don't have to tell your
guests that you're serving two-day-old beans -- let them think you've been
working at the grill since the wee hours of the morning just to prepare the
perfect barbecue side dish of grilled beans for them tonight.
Remember, cooking secrets should be kept secret! Making it look easy is
part of the fun.
Rinse and sort the beans, making sure to discard any that are shriveled or
discolored. Put beans in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring them
to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat to low and simmer, adding more
water if necessary (up to 2 cups) to keep beans covered. Simmer beans until
tender, approximately 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Drain beans and reserve the water
in the saucepan.
Preheat oven to 275-F degrees. In a bean pot or Dutch Oven, layer cooked
beans, brown sugar, onions, sorghum or molasses, and meat scraps, making
sure to finish the top layer with beans.
Stir in soy and Worcestershire sauces, dry mustard, salt to taste, and
Liquid Smoke, if desired. Add reserved bean water and up to one additional
cup of fresh water to cover the beans.
Bake, uncovered, for 5 to 6 hours, making sure to stir occasionally. If
beans get too brown, cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil. If beans
dry out, add a little more water and stir from the bottom of the ovenproof
dish. When they are thoroughly cooked, remove them from the oven and let
stand to cool. Refrigerate to store.
About 30 to 45 minutes prior to finishing the main course of your barbecue,
you're going to finish the beans on your prepared moderate- heat grill.
Now, it's best if you have transferred the beans from your good bean pot or
Dutch Oven to a heavy-bottomed saucepan that you never intend to use again
for anything but grilled beans (or perhaps an outdoor planter). If you
don't want to waste a dish just for grilled beans, take a large can (for
example, an empty tin that held stewed tomatoes) that you have
painstakingly washed, dried, and saved just for your grilled beans. Spray
the can with a non-stick cooking spray and place the beans in the can, then
heat the beans on the grill in it. You'll want to stir from the bottom of
the can with a wooden spoon to make sure the beans aren't sticking and to
evenly distribute the heat from the grill.
Serve the beans warm with your main course.
Kitchen Staff Tip: If you're like most cooks and you don't happen to have
burnt ends from your last pork barbecue in the refrigerator or freezer,
simply purchase a 1/4-lb portion of smoked ham or a ham slice. Tear or cut
up the ham and cook it in a skillet over moderate heat with a dab of butter
or margarine, a tablespoon of brown sugar, and your favorite barbecue
sauce. Cook it until it's browned and gooey, then cool before using in
today's recipe. Or, to give it an even more authentic barbecued flavor,
cook the ham on the grill with your favorite barbecue sauce, then cut or
tear it into small bite-size portions before proceeding with today's recipe
as above.