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Dutch Oven Calico Beans

Print Recipe
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 2 hours
Total Time 2 hours 20 minutes
Servings 8

Ingredients
  

  • 6 strips of thick cut bacon
  • 2 medium onions coarsely chopped
  • 1 bell pepper coarsely chopped
  • 1 jalapeño or more or less to your taste, coarsely chopped
  • 1 can 15 ounces red kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can 15 ounces white kidney beans, drained
  • 1 can 15 ounces black beans, drained
  • 3/4 cup Kansas City Barbecue Sauce
  • 4 tablespoons dark molasses I use locally made sorghum syrup
  • 1/4 cup Kentucky Bourbon
  • 2 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 bay leaf

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the dutch oven with 16 briquettes underneath.
  • Cook the bacon, browning on both sides but remove it before it renders all its fat and gets hard. We want bacon that we can cut, not crumble. You will probably need to do the bacon in two batches.
  • Add the onions and peppers and cook them until they soften.
  • Add the rest of the ingredients.
  • Move 4 briquettes to the lid and cover. Cook for 2 hours or more.
  • Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust the flavors as you see fit. If you like it spicier, add hot sauce. Add more molasses if you like it sweeter, or salt if you think it needs it. Cook it longer if you want it thicker, or add water if you want it thinner.