We're Off to See the Wizard! (Kansas)

There's no place like home in Kansas!  One of my favorite childhood movies, The Wizard of Oz, claims to have been filmed in Kansas.  I always envisioned it to be a beautiful state with flowers, fields, and hopefully a yellow brick road.  In actuality, Kansas is filled with agriculture (wheat and grains), aircraft manufacturing plants and automobile manufacturing plants.  While Kansas does not have any professional sporting teams, it is home the national historic monument honoring Brown vs. the Board of Education.

Everyone knows Kansas is famous for it's ribs and burnt ends; however,  Kansas City, Kansas, has a lot of controversy over the ownership of  the mouthwatering barbeque.  Whomever is the "original" doesn't really matter to me.  I am just glad to sit back and enjoy a dinner made by my Grill Guy!  Our Big Green Egg is under the weather (the ceramic fire box is cracked).

We are crossing our fingers the standby smoker does the job...


Kansas City BBQ Ribs:
This is not so much a recipe, as a process.  You will need to begin with a rack or two of ribs,

Yellow mustard and your favorite dry rub - we used the coffee rub mentioned earlier on the blog. 

 

First, take the ribs out of the package and place on a baking sheet.

Smear mustard to coat well.

 Add the rub.

 

Prepare the smoker by getting it up to an "ideal" heat. 

Ours gives the option of warm, ideal, and too hot.  It really should be about 250 degrees.

Place ribs on a rib rack and cook on indirect heat.  This is what they look like halfway through.

After 8 hours, take them off.  Here is what they look like now!

Coat with Kansas City BBQ sauce and enjoy!



Chuck Wagon Beans:

 

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion - diced
1/2 pound of bacon - we used a mixture of bacon and bacon bits because it's what we had on hand
1 can northern beans
1 can kidney beans
1 can pork and beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
2 dashes Worcestershire sauce

Brown the ground beef in a frying pan.

Drain the grease and cook the onions.

In an soup pot or covered casserole, mix all three cans of beans - Do Not Drain!

Add in the rest of the ingredients, including the ground beef mixture. 

Stir until combined and add bacon on the top.

Put a lid on the dish.  Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour.  Remove the lid and bake for 20 more minutes. 

Serve with a plateful of ribs and enjoy!  There's nothing better than the smell of BBQ all day finished with this...