Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

The fact that I'm in the habit of showing you all what we've had a year ago on the bottom of each day's post is as much a reminder for me as it may be news for you, and thanks be to both because last night's dinner was a long overdue repeat of a dish that's perfect for this time of year. Truth be known, it's perfect almost anytime.

Fabulously meaty country style pork ribs browned to a rich mahogany cooked on a bed of pinto beans, onions and green pepper bathed in a sweet and spicy sauce - why, it might sound like a dish that takes hours to prepare but believe me, in the wink of an eye it's in the oven making its presence known with an incredibly tantalizing aroma. By the way, it's just the thing to make for a crowd because it'll double or triple perfectly and you'll really want to add more beans to the mix because they're just so darn wonderful.

I know I won't get tired of eating it over the next couple of days because woe is me the Big Guy left at 4:30 this morning on his way to Fargo, North Dakota for 5 days on a business trip. Now just imagine the trouble I had yesterday packing for a guy with a wardrobe filled with summer weight suits made for our sunny normally warm Tucson climate. I mean our current lows are equivalent to their current highs and toe rubbers and parkas are so not required here. He's gonna' freeze his derriere .... can I say that on-line?

Sweet Spicy Ribs and Beans

4 pounds pork country style ribs, trimmed of fat

Salt, pepper & flour

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil

2 – 16 ounce cans pinto beans, drained (can be increased to 4 cans without adjusting recipe)

1 large onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped (optional)

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 10.5 ounce jar red jalapeno jelly

1 18 ounce bottle hickory flavored barbecue sauce (I used Kraft)

1 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

Preheat oven to 300. In a small saucepan, heat together jalapeno jelly and barbecue sauce until jelly has dissolved.  Remove from heat, add garlic and hot sauce. Set aside.Heat oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Dust ribs with salt, pepper & flour and in batches, brown well on all sides. Remove from pot and set aside. Continue browning meat in batches.  When meat is all browned, remove pot from heat. Add half of the chopped onion, and green pepper to the bottom of the pot. Cover vegetables with drained pinto beans, then spread one half of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture on top. Place browned ribs on top, add the rest of the chopped onion and green pepper. Top with the remainder of the jalapeno jelly/barbecue sauce mixture.  Cover pot and place in 300 oven for 2-1/2 to 3 hours.

A year ago - Ina's Roasted Chicken on Croutons

Comments

[Lea]

Maybe you could have packaged him up some of those ribs and beans to keep him warm! They look delish!

[June]

And share 'em? I think NOT, especially since when he called last night he bragged about having duck for dinner, cooked by a James Beard Foundation award winning chef! Duck's my absolute very favorite thing ...then of course he had to brag about the homemade ice cream AND the food presentation AND.... LOL

[Lorraine]

Duck is my favorite thing too, but I'm headed to the store right now to get some country style ribs.

[June]

Lorraine - geez we've good taste don't we? Hope you like the ribs...they're pretty darn delicious even as leftovers.