Sweet and Spicy Smoked Beans and Beef Ribs

 
The Super Bowl came around again this weekend! ( How many times a year can we sit through a full day of football on TV?? )  Well, if you can't beat them, join them!!  So, as usual, we put our heads together and came up with a rich and filling feast to satisfy anyones Super Bowl hunger!!
 

Broccoli Slaw

6 tbsp mayonnaise

2 tbsp cider vinegar

1 tsp white sugar

½ tsp celery salt

½  tsp Cholula hot sauce

1 Package (4 cups) broccoli slaw

4 tbsp red onion, minced

Salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Garnish: 2 tbsp crispy fried onion bits(often  found in the produce section)

Dressing: Combine mayonnaise, cider vinegar, white sugar, celery salt, salt and pepper and Cholula hot sauce in a small bowl. Whisk.

Combine broccoli slaw and red onion in a large bowl. Pour on the dressing and toss to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour. Garnish with crispy fried onion bits and serve.

Easy Sweet and Spicy Smoked Beans

We have a small coffee grinder that we use exclusively for grinding spices for our rubs etc. In this recipe, rather than using ground cumin from the store, we coarsely grind the cumin seeds, as they release a fresh, pungent flavour that really makes a difference in a strongly flavoured dish such as this.

½ pound bacon

1 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic

2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin seeds

2 tsp chopped canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

½ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp fancy molasses

1 can beer

1 can(398 ml) each of black, red and white beans, drained

Cook the bacon until crisp, place on a paper towel to drain and set aside, reserving 2 tbsp of the rendered bacon fat. Add diced onion to the bacon fat in the skillet and cook over medium heat, until soft and translucent. Add garlic, chili powder, ground cumin and chipotle peppers and cook for another 5-7 minutes. Meanwhile, drain and rinse beans and add them to a large Dutch oven. Add beer, brown sugar, molasses and onion mixture. Bring to a boil and simmer, uncovered for 45 minutes, or until sauce has reduced and thickened. Add the bacon and place in the smoker for the last 15 minutes of cooking, while the ribs are being glazed and finished over a higher temperature (400°F). At this point, taste and season with salt and pepper, if required. The beans and bacon may contain enough salt that you will not want to add any more to the dish! If the sauce has not thickened enough, leave them on the smoker until the ribs are ready to eat.

Smoky Beef Ribs with Chili/Mushroom Rub

We found this recipe in Barbecue Secrets Deluxe, by Ronnie Shewchuk, and modified it for the smoker.

12 long beef ribs (prime ribs)

 

2 tbsp yellow mustard

coarse kosher salt

extra virgin olive oil.

Rub:

1 tbsp black peppercorns

1 tbsp dried chanterelle mushrooms

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp chili powder

½ tsp cayenne pepper

Mop: 1 cup apple juice in a spray bottle

Glaze : 1 cup barbecue sauce and 1 cup jelly(anything in the refrigerator)

2 cups mesquite wood chips

Set up the Broil King Keg to smoke ribs at 225-250° F for 4-5 hours. Soak the mesquite wood chips for 30 minutes.

Lay ribs on a large cookie sheet in a single layer. Rub with yellow mustard. Give them a light drizzle of oil and season with salt. Grind the pepper, mushrooms and cumin seeds until fine. Combine with chili powder and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle over ribs and rub in.  Let the ribs sit for 30 minutes.

Add the wood chips to the smoker and fill diffuser tray with water. Add the ribs and close the lid. Smoke for 4-5 hours. Spray liberally with mop every 30 minutes.  When the internal temperature of the ribs reaches 135°F, open the vents on the keg. Place the pot of beans on the upper rack and baste the ribs with glaze and grill until the ribs have crisped up.

 Wrap tightly in foil and place on smoker,  with the vents closed, for another 45 minutes.