Beans

[Big State BBQ]

Beans -  They have to be dried pintos - is it ok to soak the night before?

[Lynn]

Yes if you are at the cook-off site - most events the beans have to be cooked on site but you can use a gas burner if you want to unless the promoter states different.

[Big State BBQ]

Thanks Lynn, in your experience how do Judge's generally feel about meat in the beans ( as long as the pieces as smalller than the bean of course ) .Big State BBQ has a killer bean recipe that we are thinking about entering in the near future.

[Lynn]

some have meat in them smaller than the bean - however what usually wins is just plain old grandma pinto beans - good juices and flavor.

[TexDoc]

Here's a hint.  My wife just got 1st and $300 out of 75 bean entries this way.  Try putting your meat, bacon ends, pork shoulder, whatever you use, along with other larger spices, onions, garlic, jalapeno, seranos, etc, in a knee high stocking.  Put all of this in a large cup, put the stocking over the cup opening, turn it over and dump all of this into the stocking.  Leave it fairly loose and tie a knot.  Cut off the excess.  Put this in with your beans.  You will get all the flavor from these without having these actually in the beans.  Remove the stocking about 30 minutes before turn in, and be sure to squeeze out the juices.

Oh, and be sure to use a new stocking.  Those used ones come with a side taste you may not like.

TexDoc

[myribsoryours]

I'm trying to come up with some side dishes for this weekend. Anyone have any recipes for side dishes with beans that I could use? Like a BBQ bean salad or something?