A simple alternative to baked beans. This dish is simple and quick to throw together, but maintains the flavors of a great pot of beans but not near as sweet.
*See Kitchen Notes for more information.
Add the bourbon and stir quickly to incorporate it with the bacon and vegetables. (Most of the bourbon will evaporate.)
Bacon – Slab bacon may be hard to find, but it’s well worth the hunt. The little diced pieces give you something to bite into. If you can’t find slab bacon then use a thick, sliced bacon and cut into small pieces. Don’t worry about trimming the fat. It gets rendered and most of the fat is drained off once cooked.
Diced smoked ham can also be used in placed of bacon. However, if you use ham, you don’t need to render the fat, just add the ham about a minute before you add the beans.
Chipotle Powder – Chipotle powder is quite common in my area but I understand that in some places, it’s hard to find. As a substitute you could use one to two chipotle peppers in adobo sauce. (Two peppers yield a very spicy bean dish!) If you can’t find chipotle of any kind, then any smoked chile powder (that's chile with an "e"). Smoked paprika provides the smokiness of the chipotle but without the heat. Smoked serrano or ancho powder provide both heat and a smoky flavor.
Liquid – If the beans are too thick for your preference, add a little more liquid. I usually end up adding about ½ cup of the liquid from the beans.
Recipe author: MJ of MJ's Kitchen