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Posted by Jessica Pinney on , last updated
If you’re throwing a barbecue and aren’t serving baked beans, you’re doing it wrong.
To me, theyare the quintessential BBQ side dish. That’s why I will be making sure that theJuly4th party I’m going to has some.
Growing up, we always ate canned baked beans. While they do taste good, I wanted to do something with a little extra oomph. I’ve fallen in love making BBQ sauce from scratch and thought doing the same with baked beans would knock my socks off. Well, I was right. Socks be damned, these baked beans aretruly the best I’ve ever had!
They are the perfect combination of sweet and savory, with just a little heat thrown in (thanks to the homemade habanero honey).
I love how easy they are to make. I use canned navy beans to keep it simple. The only prep is making the honey (you could always buy premade spicy honey if you want to skip this step) as well as chopping your thick cut bacon & onion. After that,you just have to let all those wonderful flavors simmer together in a saucepan for 45 minutes.
The one problem I do have with eating baked beans at a BBQ? The need for utensils! I’m walking around with my plate, probably somehow also trying to manage a beer. I don’t have time for spoons!
I have found adelicious solution…bacon cups!
I saw this mini bacon cup idea a few years ago in Bite by Bite. I loved it at the time, but didn’t get the chance to try them out until now. Wow! I can’t believe I’ve wasted all this time. I love the added crunch they give to the baked beans, and who wouldn’t want a little extra bacon flavor?
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My eyes have been opened and I don’t think I could ever serve baked beansanother way.
Pour the honey into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off the heat, add the habanero, then allow the honey to cool to room temperature.
Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into an airtight container. Set aside.
Baked Beans
Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, 3-5 minutes.
Add the beans, brown sugar, bacon, port, molasses, 1 tablespoon of the habanero honey, chili powder and salt. Stir to combine, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently until the mixture is reduced by half, about 20 minutes.
Turn off the heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
Mini Bacon Cups
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Turn a mini muffin pan upside-down and lightly coat the bottom with nonstick pan spray. Crisscross 3 pieces of bacon over each upturned cup, and then place another mini muffin pan on top so that the bacon pieces are compressed between the two pans.
Place the pans on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the bacon cups are crisp and browned, about 20 minutes.
Remove the baking sheet from the oven and set aside to cool completely. Lift off the top pan. Carefully remove the bacon cups from the bottom pan and place them on a paper-towel-lined baking sheet to drain, wrong side up.
To Serve
Gently reheat the beans in a saucepan over medium heat until warmed through (add 1 tablespoon water if they’re too thick or dry).
Place a spoonful of the beans into each bacon cup. Serve.
Rinse beans; cover with cold water; let stand 12 to 18 hours in a cool place. Place required number of clean 500 ml or 1 L mason jars on rack in pressure canner; add water and heat jars to a simmer (180°F/82°C). Set screw bands aside. Keep jars hot until ready to use.
Stir through your favourite chilli sauce, crushed chilli flakes or sliced red chilli for a spicy kick, add a few spoonfuls of barbecue sauce for a sweet, smoky finish, or try a little bit of Worcestershire sauce and horseradish for some bloody Mary flavour.
Store fresh pole or bush beans in the refrigerator crisper in plastic storage bags or rigid containers to retain moisture. Stored in this manner, beans will maintain quality for 7- 10 days. Beans that are stored below 41ºF may receive chill injuries and get rusty colored spots.
According to a detailed analysis, ounce for ounce, volume for volume, home-cooked beans are significantly more nutritious than their undrained, canned versions. However, once you drain canned beans, they look virtually identical to their home cooked cousins – except for the sodium.
One idea is to add marmite (trust me, it's lovely if you like marmite). You can also spice up you're your baked beans by adding a teaspoon of your favourite spice, for example smoked paprika, cumin or chilli powder if your feeling adventurous.
I like to sprinkle in some taco seasoning, but you could add whatever spices you like — garlic powder, cumin, and chili powder are all good calls. Then, you mash the beans up directly in the pan and add just a little bit of vinegar at the end to really make the beans sing.
soak them about 20 hours. Depending on how much water they soak up you may add more halfway through - if you set them soaking in the early evening, check them in the morning. drain, rinse, and then boil for about two hours, checking to see if they are soft.
Ham hock, bacon, or a bit of sausage are good options for building a foundation of flavor for beans. If it's sausage or bacon, you'll want to cook it through before adding it to the pot.
According to the NHS, three heaped tablespoons of baked beans counts as one of the five portions of fruit and vegetables the Government recommends eating every day as part of a healthy diet.
Beans are also a prebiotic food — a source of nutrition for the beneficial bacteria that live in your gut ( 2 , 13 ). Beans contain compounds with anti-inflammatory and lipid-lowering properties, meaning they help reduce inflammation and levels of fats in the blood, respectively.
Store cooked beans in a covered container that is not made from metal in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months. Also try storing cooked beans in smaller one to two cup portions, for ease of use in recipes.
Like most stored foods, beans are best stored in the absence of oxygen and light. Oxygen can lead to rancidity of bean oils and light will quickly fade bean color. The packaging choices are #10 cans or Mylar-type bags. Canning jars are suitable for smaller quantities providing the jars are stored in a dark place.
Fill jars, leaving 1 inch head space. Adjust lids and process in a dial pressure canner at 11 pounds or in weighted gauge canner at 10 pounds pressure: pints for 65 minutes and quarts for 75 minutes. Adjust for altitude using table under canning dried beans.
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