Fire Roasted Beans

I don't like those sickly sweet beans that people make for barbecues covered in molasses and brown sugar. They taste like they should be a dessert or something, and are so sweet that the flavor is completely flat and boring. Baked beans are particularly horrible when they are canned that way or use cans of pork and beans in the recipe. However, I'm not entirely against doing a little creative can "dumping" if the right canned ingredients are used. I made up this recipe based on a bottle of Buffalo brand chipotle hot sauce that I found at the Mexican market. I later found this same sauce in the grocery store, so I don't think it's difficult to find:



As you know, chipotle is a smoked jalapeño pepper. In this recipe I used chipotle hot sauce and fire roasted tomatoes, which is why I'm calling these Fire Roasted Beans. The smokey flavor is not overwhelming, but adds an outdoor flair to the beans and makes them a great side dish for a barbecue.


Fire Roasted Beans

9 thick slices of bacon, cut in 1-inch pieces
1 onion, chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 15oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 15oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 15oz cans fire roasted tomatoes
2 - 4 Tbsp Chipotle Hot Sauce (or to taste)
1 Tbsp Molasses (or to taste)
1/2 bunch cilantro

Cook bacon until crisp. Remove, but leave drippings. Cook onion, jalapeño and garlic in drippings until tender. Add beans and tomatoes, heat through. Add Molasses and Chipotle hot sauce to taste, drop in bacon and cilantro. Serve immediately. (I had these beans going on a hot plate all evening at a party and even though they still tasted okay, they were MUCH better when they were fresh a few hours earlier and not so overcooked.)