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Because of our move and how long it took to sell our house in Springfield, I went two summers without grilling. It was tough for this Texas lady to go so long without cooking over an outdoor flame. Grilling isn’t like riding a bicycle. Each grill is unique and if the skill isn’t used you lose it or at least I feel like I’ve had to learn how to grill all over again. It’s been comical getting my Cowboy Hardwood lump charcoal started but I just keep practicing, which means lots of BBQ goodness at our house. Ribs and baked beans are pretty classic but the trick to amazing ribs is to start them in the oven. Slow roast the ribs at a low temp and then finish them on the grill and they’ll be tender every time. As I finish mine, I baste them in bbq sauce. This was also my first attempt making baked beans from scratch as well and yeah, I could can those babies and make a fortune. Bush’s ain’t got nothing on my baked beans. Sometimes it’s so good you just gotta dig right in and that’s just what we did before I was able to snap many photos.

Baby Back Ribs: 

1 slab Detwiler’s baby back ribs

1/4 cup wet rub for ribs, recipe follows

1/4 cup Blackberry Peach BBQ sauce, recipe follows

Method: 

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking dish with foil. Generously coat the ribs in the wet rub, place in the dish, and cover with another sheet of foil. Bake the ribs in the oven about an two hours or until the ribs are tender. Prepare your grill. Once coals are hot, sear the ribs over hottest coals then move to indirect heat. Baste with Blackberry Peach bbq sauce and cook about 5 to 10 minutes. Serve immediately with additional sauce if desired.

Wet Rub for Ribs: 

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon Bold Creole seasoning

1/2 teaspoon TexJoy Salt Free Steak Seasoning

1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder

Blackberry Peach BBQ Sauce

1 cup water

1 tomato, skin removed and chopped

1/2 cup blackberries

1 peach, cored, skin removed and chopped

1/4 cup mustard

Pinch of Hickory Salt

1 tablespoon BBQ Seasoning

Black pepper to taste (I like a lot of black pepper)

Method: 

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until the sauce has slightly reduced and the fruit is tender. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender and continue to simmer until desired consistency is reached. Adjust seasoning as needed. Baste on ribs or chicken or serve as a condiment.

Baked Beans:

2 cups Navy beans, sorted and soaked overnight  

3 slices bacon, chopped

1 candy onion, diced (or sweet onion)

2 cloves garlic, chopped

Hickory salt to taste

1 – 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika

2 teaspoons BBQ Seasoning

1/4 cup molasses

1/4 cup maple syrup

4 to 6 cups water

Method: 

Rinse soaked beans in a colander and set aside. In a small dutch oven over med high heat, cook the bacon until it is crisp about 5 minutes. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Leave about 1 tablespoon of rendered bacon in the pan and reserve the rest for a later use. Add the onion and saute until tender then add the garlic and saute a couple minutes more. Next add in one cup of water and with a wooden spoon break up as much fond from the bottom of the pan as you can. Add the beans and enough water to cover the beans. You need about 2 inches of water over the top of the beans.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender about an hour, adding additional water as needed. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Once beans are tender, stir in about one cup of Blackberry Peach BBQ Sauce and the cooked bacon. Remove from the stove top and bake in the oven uncovered 2 – 4 hours. The sauce should completely reduce and a nice crust should form on the top of the beans. Serve as a side or main dish.