Beans and barbeque pair up, and always have. Unfortunately, most bean recipes are loaded with sugars and fat, and at BBQ4Dummies we work hard to de-fat anything we can while still retaining a great taste. This recipe is usually paired with JR’s Smoked Rice. If you are health conscious, one half cup of each combined with your favorite BBQ sauce is a complete meal. Technically, it’s the perfect meal. Over half the world lives on a primary diet of beans and rice, and we rarely see obesity in those people. You get protein, good carbs, and we added the ham for a little fat and flavor.

This is a very basic recipe, and lends itself to a myriad of variations with spices and peppers. Our entire household eats beans and rice as a staple, and two of the three of us (not I!) are averse to peppers and onions,  although  they are shown here, save for some dehydrated onions I sneak in. This is fairly mild, and you can hot it up with some jalapenos or serranos, and add some fresh onions and bell pepper for more flavor. Another variation is the beans. Feel free to substitute black beans or red beans. Whatever you choose, don’t use canned beans, use dried and cook them yourself. It’s much healthier and they taste better.  And it’s cheaper!

Ingredients (about 10 –1/2 cup servings)

Package of pintos or red beans

2 cans of diced tomatos (14 oz. each)

1-1/4” slice of ham–about 1/3rd lb. , diced

2 tbs chili powder

2 tsp cumin

Celery

4 tbs diced onion

3 tbsp diced garlic

Rosemary

Louisiana hot sauce

Pepper

½ tsp salt

Instructions

Empty a package of beans into a colander, and wash thoroughly. Put beans in a large saucepan, add water to twice the height of the beans, and soak overnight.

The next day, drain the remaining water from the beans, and add about one cup of fresh water. Add the diced tomatoes, and bring to a boil. Add the other ingredients and let boil gently for about 10 minutes. Transfer to crock pot or let simmer for 4-6 hours.

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2. Barbequed Green Beans
3. JR’s Smoked Rice

Darcy Goulart lives in Elk Grove, CA and is an Urban Planner

Slice zucchini and drizzle with a little olive oil and grill on each side to a texture that suits your liking (we like ours on the firm side so we grill each side for no more than 2-3 minutes).

Bruschetta (prepare ahead of time and let chill for about 15-20 minutes)
Mix together chopped tomatoes, red onion, parsley or basil and garlic (amont depends on your love for garlic) and salt/pepper to taste.

Top the zucchini with a spoon full of the bruschetta, add a little grated parmesan cheese and serve.

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What a great recipe this is! We always have a pint or so around. Use it for chips, in omelettes, or as a side dish.

1 ripe mango

Pinch of sea salt

1 tablespoon lime juice (from a LIME, which is NEVER made from plastic)

1/4  teaspoon  Louisiana Hot Sauce or Tabasco sauce

2 tablespoons chopped green onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

Peel the mango. I use potato peeler but a sharp knife works fine. Cut into small chunks, or use a food processor. I process half and cut the rest into chunks. Add the rest of the ingredients, stir, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Lasts a few days .

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In 1994, Jerry Roach, known as JR in competitive BBQ circles, went on the road with JR’s School of Southern Barbeque. I flew down to San Diego, the closet venue, and learned more from this famous BBQ manufacturer and competitive chef than I could have gleaned from 10 books.

Of all the tricks and recipes I’ve learned, JR’s Smoked Rice has been the most valuable of all. Fifteen years later and after many modifications, some major, I still get more requests for my smoked rice than anything else.

My most major modification was eliminating all the oil and butter he adds, and substituting brown rice for white rice. Brown rice is a lower glycemic carbohydrate, much healthier, and tastes great. Here you go.

Ingredients:

Combine the following into a large mixing bowl

1-14 oz. pack conditioned (pre-cooked, parboiled) instant brown rice

4-cups hot water with 4 heaping tsp. of chicken boullion or Better than Boullion (preferred)

½ cup chopped celery

1/3 small basket sliced mushrooms (about a large handful)

¼ cup bell pepper

½ cup chopped onion (I use dehydrated or green onions)

2 tbs. Worcestershire

½ tsp thyme

½ tsp rosemary

½ tsp garlic powder

Pepper to taste

Few drops of Louisiana Hot Sauce

Line a medium sized aluminum roasting  pan so the entire mixture is no more than about an inch deep. Pour the entire mixture from the mixing bowl into the pan. Stir. Smoke at 225-250 deg for 2-4 hours or until rice is fluffy and all liquid absorbed. Using a wooden spoon, stir the mixture every 30 minutes to assure all ingredients receive smoke uniformly.

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One of the underlying goals of BBQ4Dummies.com is to produce healthy dishes with low to moderate calorie and fat content. This isn’t one of them!

The first time I had this dish was in a small BBQ joint in Fairhope, Alabama, on Mobile Bay. Fairhope is one of the most beautiful small Southern towns you’ll ever see. We stayed at the Marriott on the Bay, but ate from the tiny BBQ shacks often located in gas stations or near a small store. The first night we arrived I wanted BBQ, and as it was late on a weekday evening everyplace we saw was closed. I was walking out of a small store where the owner had volunteered to make a few calls to see if any place was open, with no luck. Out of the shadows, an older Black man appeared, and said he had overhead me and knew a great place and they’d “be proud to serve you.”  Already blown away with the incredible hospitality and friendliness in Fairhope, I followed him to a tiny little shack with a smiling woman a limited menu, and a willingness to please. The ribs were delicious, but the BBQ beans are what I remember the most.

After several tries over a period of a few years, I think I’ve got it down. Serves 2-3

1/2 lb.-ish fresh green beans

4 strips of bacon cut in 1” sections

1 tsp-ish Worchestershire

Fresh cracked black pepper—generous

Lawry’s Seasoned Salt—generous

BBQ Sauce for Pork –mustard/vinegar/brown sugar/catsup—2-4 tbsp-ish

3-4 drops Liquid Smoke

Start with fresh green beans. I never buy fruit, produce, fish, or meat with a “freshness test,” and for beans, it’s simple. Hold a thumb and forefinger on each end of a bean, and bring them together. If the bean snaps, you’ve got fresh produce, if not, they are old. Once you’ve got your fresh beans, you’ll need to remove the pointed ends. I pinch them off, but you can use a knife. Then, cut them in half.

Next, the beans go into a steamer. You’ll need a pot at least a couple of inches taller than your steam basket, and just a little wider. Put in just enough water to almost but not quite touch the bottom of the steam basket, cover pot, and steam until the beans are beyond al dente, or fairly soft. It will probably take 15-20 minutes once the water starts boiling. Be careful you don’t boil the pot dry and burn the pan!

In the meantime,  you’ll need a medium size frying pan. Start with the bacon, cutting it in 1″ strips. When you start the frying process, it will look something like this. Cook the bacon down to medium done, but do not drain the fat. You will do that later; the rendered bacon fat adds a beautiful flavor to this recipe, and seeing as how you’ve already committed youself to a really  high fat content side dish, why worry about a little more fat?  Once you have the bacon where you want it, add the other ingredients.

By this time, your beans should be pretty well done. Now, using a set of tongs, carefully add the beans to the rest of the ingredients in the frying pan. Cut the heat to low. You don’t want to overcook; you want everything to come together in a singular, strong flavor that you’re now smelling. Cover the pan, and let it simmer for one hour and have the rest of your meal ready to serve by then.

When ready to serve, grab the frying pan handle, remove the lid, and slowly tilt the pan in the direction of your grease recepticle. without losing the beans or bacon, slowly drain out all the greasy residue that you can. You’re done.

Just recently we enjoyed this recipe again, pairing the barbequed green beans with a smoked New York Steak and a fresh Idaho spud. We served it with a bottle of  Forest Glen Shiraz, a wine that taste like about $15 and cost $1 a bottle from the Doll ar Store. I bought one, tasted it, went back and cleaned them out.

We’ll tell you how to make a steak better than Morton’s later on.

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