Best California Barbecued Beans Adapted From Cooks Country Recipes

CALIFORNIA BARBECUED BEANS, ADAPTED FROM COOK'S COUNTRY RECIPE - (4.3/5)

Steps:

• If you can find them, pinquito beans (a variety grown in the Santa Maria Valley) are traditional in this dish. Bottled taco sauce is available in the Mexican aisle of most grocery stores. Don't add the tomato puree, taco sauce, brown sugar, and salt before the beans have simmered for an hour; they will hinder the proper softening of the beans. Cook bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until fat renders and pork is lightly browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add beans and water and bring to simmer. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook until beans are just soft, about 1 hour. IF MAKING HOMEMADE TACO SAUCE: Place in sauce pan and stir well, simmer at a very low temperature for 15- 20 minutes. Remove and cool. May be kept in refrigerator for several days. Stir in tomato puree, taco sauce, sugar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt. Continue to simmer, uncovered, until beans are completely tender and sauce is thickened, about 1 hour. (If mixture becomes too thick, add water.) Season with kosher salt, if needed. Garnish with fresh cilantro, if desired. Serve. (Beans can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.)

BBQ BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Heat an oven-proof heavy-bottom pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the bacon and cook, stirring often, until the fat has started to render and the bacon is beginning to crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onions and bell pepper and continue to cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are slightly softened, about 3 minutes.
• Stir in the canned beans, barbecue sauce, molasses, vinegar, Worcestershire, brown sugar, mustard powder, cayenne, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Bring to a simmer and let cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has thickened slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer the pot to the oven and bake (uncovered) until the sauce thickens and the beans on top begin to brown, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving warm or at room temperature.

SANTA MARIA STYLE CALIFORNIA BBQ TRI-TIP RECIPE - (4.5/5)

Steps:

• Pat roast dry with paper towels. Using fork, prick roast about 20 times on each side. Combine garlic, oil, and salt and rub over roast. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Soak wood chips in bowl of water to cover for 15 minutes. Open bottom vents on grill. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (about 100 coals) and burn until charcoal is covered with fine gray ash. Pour hot coals in even layer over one half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, open lid vents completely, and let grill heat for 5 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean. Using paper towels, wipe garlic paste off roast. Rub pepper and garlic salt all over meat. Grill directly over coals until well browned, about 5 minutes per side. Carefully remove roast and cooking grate from grill and scatter wood chips over coals. Replace cooking grate and arrange roast on cooler side of grill. Cover, positioning lid vents directly over meat, and cook until roast registers about 130 degrees (for medium-rare), about 20 minutes. Transfer meat to cutting board, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 minutes. Slice thinly across the grain. Serve.

CALIFORNIA BARBECUED BEANS

Steps:

• Place the beans and 6 cups water in a large Dutch oven.
• Bring to a boil over high heat and cook for 5 minutes.
• Remove the pot from the heat, cover and allow the beans to sit for 1 hour.
• Drain the beans; clean and dry the pot.
• Cook the bacon and ham in the Dutch oven over medium heat until the fat renders and the pork is lightly browned, 5-7 minutes.
• Add the onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
• Add the drained beans and 6 cups water; bring to a simmer.
• Decrease heat to med-low, cover, and cook until the beans are just soft, about 1 hour.
• Stir in the tomato puree, taco sauce, sugar, mustard, and 2 teaspoons salt.
• Continue to simmer, uncovered, until the beans are completely tender and the sauce is thickened, about 1 hour (if the mixture becomes too thick, add water).
• Stir in the cilantro and vinegar and season with salt to taste.
• Serve.