Barbecued Beans with Kielbasa

Barbecued Beans and Kielbasa

What's Polish for "beanie weenie"? How about "Fasolka z grilla i kielbasa." No matter the language, barbecued beans with kielbasa makes an excellent one-pot weekend meal that fills you up and is spicy enough to warm you from the inside out.

The trick to this recipe is the use of a pressure cooker. Where the traditional baked bean recipes call for slow cooking over several hours, our beans require a mere 30 minutes to fully cook. We then cook the kielbasa in the barbecue sauce, using the simmer setting on the pressure cooker. There is very little handson preparation time required.

Barbecued Beans and Kielbasa
2 c. dried navy, pinto or red beans, prepared for cooking
1 lb kielbasa, cut into 1" lengths
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
4 quarts plus 2 c. water
1 onion, chopped fine
1 tsp. garlic paste, or 2 garlic cloves, minced
1 c. ketchup
1/2. c. honey
2 tbsp. dark brown sugar
3 tbsp. cider vinegar
1 tbsp. dry mustard powder

Prepare the beans the day before by covering the dried beans with 4 quarts of water to which 2 tbsp. of kosher salt are added. Allow to soak for at least 8 hours. Discard any "floaters". Drain the beans in a colander.

Combine beans and 1 tbsp. oil in a pressure cooker. Coat beans with the oil by stirring with a wooden spoon. Add 4 quarts water and 1 tsp. salt. Lock on pressure cooker lid, bring pressure to high and cook for 8 minutes. Remove from heat, allow pressure to reduce slowly for 15 minutes. Remove lid, drain cooked beans in colander and set aside.

Add 1 tbsp. oil to pressure cooker. Heat on medium heat, and add chopped onion, garlic paste and kielbasa pieces. Brown meat on all sides, and allow onion to sauté until slightly soft. Stir in water, ketchup, honey, dark brown sugar, vinegar and mustard powder. Gently stir in beans. Allow all to simmer over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 to 15 minutes.

NOTE:  This can be used as a side dish or main meal. Any leftovers can be frozen and reheated using a microwave oven. The beans stay nice and firm.

Three Step Barbecue Baked Beans

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer, and the celebrations normally include a cookout. Baked beans are a traditional side dish for these occasions. If you prefer foregoing the canned beans soaking in a fat and sugar-laden sauce, then you'll love making these quick to fix barbecued beans.

I start with a mixture of dried navy, red and pinto beans. Dried beans are available in bulk at most grocery stores, and are easily stored in airtight canisters. They are also very economical, and useful for making soups and other meals as well.

Dry beans, however, normally need hours of slow cooking. This breaks down their outer starchy shell and makes them edible. The quick way around this is to use a pressure cooker.

The final step is to add flavor. You can make your own barbecue sauce if you wish, but I like to use my favorite bottled variety, and cut it with a small amount of either full flavored ginger ale (Vernors is tops for this), cola or lemon-line soda. You can use sugar-free for this if you like, as it is only for flavoring purposes.

Three Step Barbecue Baked Beans
4 c. dry beans
8 c water
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 lb. pork sausage (ground or link)
2 c. bottled barbecue sauce
1/2 c. ginger ale, cola or lemon-lime soda

Soak dry beans in salted water for 8 hours or overnight at room temperature. Drain beans.

Place beans in pressure cooker. Add 8 cups fresh water, and seal lid. Bring to high pressure and cook for 45 minutes.  Allow pressure to reduce slowly for 15 to 20 minutes. Drain beans in colander.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. If using ground sausage, brown slightly and drain excess fat. Toss beans and sausage together to mix thoroughly, and spread evenly in casserole dish.

Mix barbecue sauce and soda together. Pour over bean and sausage mixture, stirring well. Bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes to an hour. Sauce should be thick and bubbly, and sausage cooked through. Serves 6 to 8.

NOTE: This recipe can be cooked on the grill in a cast iron pot. Just be sure to use indirect heat and stir periodically to keep the beans from scorching.