Dad's favorite: Wild West beans with fiery John Wayne whiskey
We salute the Dads of the USA with my favorite Baked Beans recipe and my Dad's favorite American!
By Certified Executive Chef Mark Shoopman, CEC, CFBE of Lutheran Hillside Village.
2+2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
2 cups Sweet onion, sliced julienne – I like Vidalia onions
¼ cup Unfiltered honey
¾ cup Red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
¾ cup Yellow bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup Orange bell pepper, chopped
¾ cup Green bell pepper, chopped
3 each Garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Serrano pepper, minced, or Jalapeno pepper (optional)
1 pound Pork sausage, hot (can use mild if preferred)
1 pound Andouille sausage, sliced
1 pound Bacon, rough chopped
1-(15oz.) Black beans, drained
2-(22oz.) Bush's brand Southern BBQ seasoned beans
1-(22oz.) Bush's brand Smokehouse seasoned beans
1-(22oz.) Bush's brand Hot Honey seasoned beans
1 cup Barbecue sauce, use your favorite!
1 ½ tablespoons Smoked garlic seasoning
Salt and Pepper To Taste
Heat the oil in a large pot, (3-5 quart), over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the bacon and sauté until lightly browned. Next add the sausage and continue cooking until it begins to brown. Next add the bell peppers and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the sausage is browned, and the vegetables are tender, about 5-8 minutes. Add all the beans, barbecue sauce, honey, andouille sausage and smoked garlic seasoning. Allow to come to a nice simmer and cook an additional 5 minutes stirring frequently enough so they do not stick to the pan. Add the serrano peppers and season with salt and pepper.
In a skillet over high heat add the rest of the olive oil and the onions. Sauté rapidly over the high heat until the onions begin to brown and caramelize. At this point Remove the skillet from the heat and add in the whiskey. Ignite with a long lighter. You want to ignite the fumes and not the liquid. Gently shake the pan until the blue flame has extinguished itself. Add the onions to the pot of beans and combine. (Optionally you can then transfer to a baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 300 degrees for 30 minutes.) Remove from oven and enjoy
SERVES 8-10
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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