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Mon Aug 25, 2008Tangy Pit Beans It happens almost every summer, it comes closer to the end of the season and I start wondering where it all went. In a mad dash to fit in as much fun into these fleeting days, I find myself less and less plopping down in front of the computer, choosing instead to be bad to my blog in pursuit of all else that I had neglected during the prior months. Since time is such a commodity for me this time of year, I've also found ways to cut the time I spend in the kitchen, without giving it up completely, starting with this quick and delicious recipe for Tangy Pit Beans.  Beans have long been one of my favorite sides to make along with my 'cue. I have a tried-and-true recipe that starts with dried beans, soaked over night, then cooked the next day for about 6 hours. As I considered the time I'd have to dedicate to being inside the house to make these, I set out on a search for a recipe that would be just as good that didn't require such commitment.  That search didn't last long, since one of the first places I instinctively went to was Peace, Love, and Barbecue. There I found Mike Mill's recipe for 17th Street Tangy Pit Beans, which I've enjoyed each year at the Big Apple Barbecue Block Party. These beans had such a deep barbecue flavor, I was surprised to find that the recipe called for using all canned beans, mixed with a simple barbecue sauce, then cooked for one hour. It was exactly what I was looking for.  The recipe starts with a sauce of mustard, ketchup, brown sugar, honey, magic dust, onion, and green peppers. These are mostly ingredients I have in my house at all times, and with them quickly on hand, I was able to whip up the sauce in about 10 minutes, including dicing the veggies.  There's no doubt that the real time saver here is the use of canned beans. I like the feel of starting with dried and going from there; I find that the beans really take on whatever flavor they're cooked with using that method. Mike Mill's, however, calls for the use of a variety of canned beans, including pork and beans and chili beans, so a lot of the flavor is already in the can to start. Emptying beans in the bowl with the barbecue sauce and washing those that needed it couldn't have taken more than another 5 minutes of my precious time.  Then the recipe called for laying strips of bacon, pulled pork, or barbecue ribs on top of the beans and bake for an hour. Seeing as the Meatwave rarely has pork leftovers, I went for the bacon option, set the whole thing in a 350 degree oven for 45 minuted covered, then an additional 15 minuted uncovered.  What came out after about only an hour and twenty minutes of prep and cooking time was magical. These beans have a great, deep barbecue flavor. The different types of beans create a pleasing variety of texture, adding a lot of complexity to a simple recipe. The bell pepper also rounds out the whole thing with a nice freshness, which is something that I might have lost using the canned beans over dried. These beans were a little more saucy then my normal stock, but I kind of liked it that way. One of the best parts was that it made such a large batch, that after a day of heavy eating, there was still enough left to freeze and enjoy at the next Meatwave two weeks later, saving me loads of more time from having to prepare another side then. You could even argue that they were better the second time around. 17th Street's Tangy Pit Beans From Peace, Love, and Barbecue by Mike Mills and Amy Tunnicliffe Mills 2 tablespoons prepared yellow mustard 3 cups ketchup 1 cup diced onion 1 green or red bell pepper, seeded and diced 1 1/2 cups packed brown sugar 1/2 cup sorghum or honey 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons Magic Dust 1 large can (28 oz.) pork and beans 1 can (19 oz.) large red kidney beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) large butter beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) chili beans, drained and rinsed 1 can (15 1/2 oz.) of a fifth bean, your choice, drained and rinsed 4 or 5 slices bacon or a few cooked ribs or some barbecued pulled pork Preheat oven to 350 degrees Mix the mustard, ketchup, onion, bell pepper, brown sugar, sorghum or honey, and Magic Dust together in a large bowl. Be sure to work out all of the lumps of brown sugar. Add the beans, stirring gently with clean hands or a big spoon, just enough to evenly distribute the mixture. Overmixing will cause the skins of the beans to burst and the consistency will become mushy, more like refried beans, which you don't want. Pour into a 13x9-inch baking dish. Lay the bacon strips, ribs or pork across the top. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 15 minutes or until bubbly. These beans reheat well. Will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. May also be frozen for up to 1 month. 
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Thanks for shareing this recipe!!
I posted a link for you at my website, it should go up in a day or two.
Posted on Mon, Aug 25 2008 7:24pm
Those beans look fabulous!
Posted on Mon, Aug 25 2008 9:50pm
Excellent recipe and great photos. Mind if I add a link to you on our site?
Dave
Posted on Sat, Aug 30 2008 3:01pm
@Dave: Thanks! You can link me up...nice BGE.
Posted on Sat, Aug 30 2008 6:42pm
Nice. I especially like the canned beans and using a variety. Can't wait to try this, thanks! (great site too).
Posted on Mon, Jul 6 2009 8:49am
Can you share your "long" recipe with the dried beans? I can't get chilli beans or pork and beans in the UK!
Posted on Thu, Nov 12 2009 4:38am
"My" BBQ beans start with Bush's Baked Beans, then I :doctor" them up. I really like the idea of using several different types of beams - gotta give that a try.
I would suggest adding some pulled pork (which I usually have in the freezer) and putting the bean pot on the lower shelf of the WSM under some goody that will drip into the beans. Pork (or beef) fat GOOD DOH
Posted on Tue, Jun 1 2010 1:20am
I love the idea of letting the some drippings drop into the beans. Do you ever have a problem with the beans getting too greasy though? I'll have to try it out sometime.
Posted on Tue, Jun 1 2010 9:13am