BBQ Baked Beans

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F (160 C or 140 C for a fan oven).
2. Roughly chop the red pepper, removing the seeds and the bitter white parts. Peel the onion and roughly chop. Remove the peel on the garlic cloves by smashing with the back of a knife (blade facing away from you). Roughly chop the garlic.
3. Add the chopped red pepper, onion and garlic to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Pulse about 8 to 10 times until the vegetables are very finely minced. Set aside while you make the sauce. If you don’t have a food processor, the next best option is to grate the vegetables on a box grater using the largest holes.
4. In a large bowl, combine the BBQ sauce, light brown sugar, treacle or molasses, apple cider vinegar, Worcestershire sauce and salt. Whisk to combine.
5. Add the minced vegetables and all of the beans. Stir well until thoroughly mixed.
6. Pour the mixture into a shallow, oven proof baking dish. I use a glazed, cast iron round pan measuring 11 1/2 inches in width.
7. Chop the bacon into 1 inch pieces and gently place on top of the bean mixture.
8. Bake the beans for about an hour. The mixture should be nice and thick and slightly charred around the edges when done. The bacon will be cooked through and caramelized.
9. Give the beans a good stir before serving.

Adapted from Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste & Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking, by Adam Perry Lang.