Spare Rib “Baked” Beans

Spare Rib “Baked” Beans

This recipe came about by accident. I was working on menu ideas for a dinner with friends. I had leftover spare ribs, but not really enough to serve on their own. I wanted to use them in something, and decided that the meat would be really good in baked beans. They already had barbecue sauce on them- and those flavors go well with beans. I didn’t have time to start with uncooked beans, so I used canned beans. Even though I think of this dish as baked beans- they were never really baked. I did the whole dish on top of the stove in about an hour. They do taste great. I can’t wait to take them to the party tonight. We are serving them as a side dish, but they could be a meal all on their own.

Spare Rib “Baked” Beans

1 c. sliced onion

2 T. oil or butter

1 qt. tomatoes – I used home canned- you can use 1 (28 oz.) can

1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed and drained

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 can kidney beans, rinsed and drained

¾ c. apple cider vinegar

½ c. brown sugar

¼ c. maple syrup

2 T. molasses

4 c. cubed meat from cooked spare ribs

1 T. minced garlic

1 T. hot sauce, or to taste

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 t. ground cinnamon

1 t. ground turmeric

½ t. allspice

Salt and pepper to taste

In pot, add onions to oil or butter and cook over medium heat until tender. Add tomatoes, beans, vinegar, brown sugar, maple syrup and molasses. Cook over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until mixture thickens. This will take about 30 minutes. Add meat with remaining ingredients and cook over medium low heat about 30 minutes longer. Stir from time to time to prevent sticking. Adjust seasonings and serve. Makes 6-8 servings.