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Stuffed Red Bell Peppers with Brown Sugar and Maple Baked Beans

Few true barbecue recipes provide instant gratification, because time is the key element in producing magnificent results when cooking a whole beef brisket or pork shoulder. Baked bean recipes are similar in this regard. It takes time for all of the flavors to meld together to produce the perfect batch of beans. While these peppers cook on the grill, the brown sugar and maple syrup caramelize to form a crust on top of the beans. The pepper makes a perfect cooking dish and serving bowl, while adding flavor to the slow-cooked beans.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    serves 8

Ingredients

1 large onion, chopped
5 strips bacon, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 15-ounces cans pinto beans, drained
3 15-ounces cans kidney beans, drained
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup barbecue sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
8 red bell peppers

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Build a fire (wood or a combination of charcoal and wood) for indirect cooking by situating the coals on only one side of the grill, leaving the other side void. Preheat the cooker to 400°F.

    Step 2

    In a small frying pan, sauté the onion and bacon together for 5 to 7 minutes, until the bacon starts to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for an additional 30 seconds. Drain the rendered bacon grease and scrape the mixture into a large bowl. Add the beans, brown sugar, maple syrup, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire, and yellow mustard and mix well.

    Step 3

    With a paring knife, slice off the top of each bell pepper. Pull out the core, veins, and seeds and discard. Fill each pepper with 3/4 cup of the baked bean mix.

    Step 4

    Place the peppers on the void side of the grill, close the lid and cook over indirect heat for 50 minutes, or until the filling is hot and crusty and the peppers soften.

  2. Cooking Method

    Step 5

    Indirect heat

Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book Cover
Big Bob Gibson's BBQ Book by Chris Lilly. Copyright © 2009 by Chris Lilly. Published by Crown Publishing Group. All Rights Reserved.
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