I know I have waxed the lyrical, stood atop my soap box, spruked about and just down right pleaded with you to make your own baked beans. They are a totally different world of awesome. If you do not believe me and choose a path of abstinence from making your own beans then there is nothing more I can do to help you. You are on your own now child.

There is a thing I know about good baked beans; Good baked beans owe a debt of gratitude to a good ham bone or smoked sausage, it just improves the flavour of these little legumes ten fold. Unless you are vegetarian or one of the other groups of people out there who are wrong about smoked pork.

Also, they can not get the same oven-or-glowing-coal-generated crusty bits when cooked on the stove top and thus lack a little extra depth of flavour. They are also more prone to sticking and burning with the direct heat from the stove top, so do the maths on that one.

This recipe is a world away from one of those recipes where you have to follow it to the letter. Use different beans if you want, different herbs or whatever you got. As long as you have a bit of good smoked pork product in there I guarantee, yes guarantee, you will be a happy camper. Unless of course you are actually camping but hate the outdoors, in which case you will be the opposite of a happy camper. I’ve really got to get my story straight somewhere along the line.

These beans are great for breakfast and alo any other meal time when you feel like eating top notch beans.

HAMMY BAKED BEANS IN THE BBQ

1 ham bone or ham hock or some smoked sausage eg.chorizo
3x 400g tins pinto beans
2x 400g tins crushed tomatoes
¼ cup BBQ sauce
1 brown onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme, or a mix of both, or whatever herbs you like (you’ll work your favourite combo in time I’m sure)
Salt and pepper
Eggs (cooked), toasted sourdough, parmesan cheese, fresh herbs, chilli and olive oil are always good for that final “yeah I’m boss at this shit” flourish.

Sweat off ham or sausage (sweaty sausage. Tastes heaps better then it sounds), onion and spices, plus a little salt and pepper to season.
Add beans, tomato and BBQ sauce and stir to combine.
Cook nestled into the coals in a BBQ or in an oven at 160 C (320 F) for 2 hours, stirring a couple of times.
Check seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Serve with all the stuff it says up there.
I like to make a batch that is double the size of this recipe so I can freeze it down in portions in the boxed icey tundra that is my freezer, right behind the postman… er, let’s just pretend you didn’t read that…