Rum & Bacon Baked Beans Recipe

Putting a tropical spin on a classic, I've taken the traditional Baked Beans and given them an island-inspired makeover with a dark-aged rum instead of the possibly-obvious bourbon. This recipe has become one of the go-to side dishes for any bbq-themed meal. Try it out, and please let me know how it turned out in the comments below the recipe. Everything below is weighed, not measured in cups, which is how the pot comes out the same every time.

This recipe has become one of the go-to side dishes for any bbq-themed meal.

Rum & Bacon Baked Beans

Makes: 2 Quarts

Servings: ~ 8 (1-cup servings)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: ~ 1 Hour

Ingredients & Directions

25 gr Oil, grapeseed (or other neutral vegetable oil)

200 g Bacon, diced

• Combine oil and bacon in a medium pot, and cook on medium heat until bacon has rendered its fat—approximately 8 minutes.

100 g Onions, Red, medium dice

• Add onions and cook until they begin to look translucent. Stir often.

200 g Rum, dark

• Pour in rum and scrape the bottom of the pot to release any bits of onions or bacon that might have stuck to the bottom.

60 g Tomato Paste

50 g Molasses

60 g Brown Sugar

10 g Salt

15 g Garlic, cloves (or puree)

8 g Worcestershire sauce

1 g Black pepper, ground

20 g Vinegar, Rice or Apple

• Add all the ingredients above and stir well. Simmer gently for 5 minutes, so the rum's alcohol evaporates.

Simmer gently for 5 minutes, so the rum's alcohol evaporates.

750 g Water

1,000 g Pinto beans, canned, rinsed well

• Add water and beans

• Mix well and bring up to a simmer

• Stir often and simmer for about 1 hour or until the liquid has reduced to your desired thickness.

Questions and answers

How much does this recipe make? 2 quarts, about 8 servings of 1 cup each.

How long does it take? Prep time is 10 minutes and cook time is about 1 hour.

What gives the beans their tropical spin? Dark aged rum, used instead of the possibly obvious bourbon, with bacon, tomato paste, molasses, and brown sugar.

Also see: the fat you cook in changes the result

Also see: weighing beats measuring cups

Tools for this post: Pepper Cannon, Made In 8-quart stock pot and 5 lb kitchen scale. See all the tools I use on my Chef Recs page.

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Andres Dangond was Josper's brand ambassador and executive chef in the United States. He now trains Josper owners, in homes and in restaurants, to light, run and maintain the oven properly.