Hello and Happy 4th of July. Welcome to another episode of the podcast. Today we are talking about barbecue! Barbecue and July 4th go hand in hand. On this episode of the podcast I talk about how our family is connected to a long-standing barbecue tradition, the difference between grilling and barbecue, some favorite barbecue cookbooks in my collections, and a recipe for Sweet Bourbon Baked Beans from the Kentucky Fresh Cookbook.

Sweet Bourbon-baked Beans

Makes 12 servings

From Kentucky Fresh Cookbook by Maggie Green. I use vegetarian baked beans, but any variety of canned pork (baked) and beans works fine. To make without the bourbon, use 1/2 cup vinegar.

1/2 pound (8 ounces) bacon, cut into 1/4-inch thin strips

3 cups canned vegetarian baked beans (one 28-ounce can)

1 1/2 cups cooked or canned baby lima beans, drained (one 15-ounce can)

1 1/2 cups cooked or canned butter beans, drained (one 15-ounce can)

1 1/2 cups cooked or canned red beans, drained (one 15-ounce can)

1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup Kentucky bourbon

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dry mustard powder

Place bacon strips in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir and cook until crisp. Remove bacon to drain on a paper-towel-lined plate. Pour all of the bacon grease out of the skillet except for about 2 tablespoons. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Stir together the baked beans, lima beans, and red beans in the prepared dish. In the bacon grease, cook the onions over medium heat until golden, about 10 minutes. Add the brown sugar, bourbon, and vinegar, stirring to dissolve the sugar and scrape any brown bits off the bottom of the skillet. Let cook for 1 minute. Pour the bourbon-sugar sauce over beans and stir to combine. Sprinkle with crisp bacon bits. Bake for 1 hour until bubbly and the juice has thickened.

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