Smoky Kansas City BBQ Beans Recipe

Ingredients

---

• Most every barbecue joint and shack makes some variation of barbecued beans. They all taste a little different--a pitmaster’s prerogative--but share a similarly spicy, sweet, and smoky flavor. We wanted to develop a simple recipe that could be prepared alongside smoking ribs or pork shoulder. Here’s what we discovered: shopping list
• Test Kitchen Discoveries shopping list
• Cook the beans on the stovetop until soft, then transfer them to a disposable aluminum pan, wrap them tight, and nestle the pan into the bottom of the grill next to the coals (place it right in the drip pan, if using). Poke holes in the pan’s lid so the grill’s smoke can permeate the pan and flavor the beans. shopping list
• Used dried pinto beans; canned beans will turn mushy and fall apart long before the sauce’s flavors have blended. Soak the beans in water overnight to guarantee even cooking. shopping list
• Flavor the beans with bacon and barbecue sauce for an extra-smoky flavor. Stir a little fresh barbecue sauce into the beans just before serving to sharpen the sauce’s flavor. shopping list
• beans on the Grill shopping list
• Our BBQ beans finish cooking on the grill, where they pick up smoke and pork flavors. Here’s how to let the flavors in and keep the grease out. shopping list
• 1. When the beans are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened, transfer the beans to a 13 by 9-inch disposable aluminum pan. Wrap tightly in foil and poke several holes in the foil so that the juices from the ribs can flavor the beans. shopping list
• 2. When you’re ready to add more coals, nestle the beans in the pan already on the bottom of the grill. Replace the cooking grate, making sure to position the ribs directly above the beans. shopping list