I have an undeniable love affair with America. Not just because my dream is to be a country music singer and have weekend ranch getaways but because of the food – and everything that comes with it. American supermarkets, American backyards, American hospitality. I mean it’s almost too much. One thing that’s not too much is how far they take barbecues. Sure, I am Australian and true to my Aussie barbie but I really don’t think we have anything on an American grill. Three words. Brisket with beans. You’re welcome.
Chipotle Bacon Beans
Serves 8-10 as a side
Ingredients
Olive oil for frying
2 red onions, roughly chopped
3 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
10 rashes of bacon, roughly chopped
1 can crushed tomatoes
1 can of chipolte chillies in adobo sauce, chillies roughly chopped
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
2 cups chicken stock
4tbs molasses sugar – substitute brown sugar
Option: grated cheddar and bread crumbs to sprinkle
Method
Heat the oil in a large pot and saute the onions, garlic and bacon on a medium heat for around 10 minutes or until slightly caramelised. Add the can of tomatoes and chipotle chillies as well as the sauce from the chipotle can and bring to the boil.
Add all the drained beans and chicken stock to the pot and simmer on a low heat for around 45 minutes. You may find you need to add splashes of water along the way. Stir through the sugar now and taste to see if you need any salt.
You can serve this as a BBQ side, a dip or for breakfast with eggs. If you want, sprinkle with bread crumbs and grated cheddar cheese and bake for 10 minutes or until golden.
