BBQ Beans

Slow Cooked Barbecued Baked Beans
From Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes by Andrew Schloss, published by Chronicle Books
Makes 8 servings

1 pound (2 cups) dried beans, white, pinto, or mixed
1 pound smoked ham hock or turkey leg (opt)
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, diced
1/2 roasted red bell pepper, diced (bottled or homemade--see below, How to Roast a Pepper)
4 cups chicken broth
1 cup bottled spicy barbecue sauce, divided
1/2 teaspoon spicy chili powder

Put the beans in a bowl, cover with at least 3 inches of water, and soak overnight. Or put the beans in a saucepan, cover with 3 inches of water, and bring to a boil. Cook at a boil for 3 minutes, remove from the heat, and let soak for 1 hour. Drain.

Place the smoked meat in a 4- or 5-quart slow cooker and pour the soaked beans on top.

Heat the oil in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the onion and sauté until barely tender, about 3 minutes.  Add the roasted pepper and broth, and bring to a boil.  Remove from the heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the barbecue sauce; pour and scrape into the slow cooker, and mix to coat the beans. Cover the cooker and cook on low for 10 to 12 hours, until the beans are tender and the sauce is slightly thickened.

Remove the meat from the beans and set aside until cool enough o handle.  Turn the cooker to high, mix the chili powder and remaining 1/2 cup barbecue sauce in a small bowl, and stir into the beans. Remove the skin and bone from the meat, and break the meat into small pieces. Stir into the beans and cook for 10 minutes.

How to Roast a Pepper
Place the pepper directly onto the grate of a gas burner set on high, under a broiler set to the highest setting, or over a hot grill.  As the skin on one side of the pepper burns, turn it over, and continue this way until the skin is uniformly burnt.  Be careful to keep it moving so that the flesh under the skin doesn’t char.  Place the pepper in a paper bag or a bowl, close the bag or cover the bowl, and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel off the burnt skin with your fingers, and remove the stems and seeds before dicing.