Smoky BBQ Beans with Venison

 Post by Rick

Here is a recipe that can be served as either a side dish or a main dish, especially for you bachelor kind of guys. It contains all of a man's important food groups: beans, onions for a vegetable, and of course, venison*!-- this is definitely a stick to your ribs kind of meal. Share it with others or cook up a big batch to last you an entire week. 

Food for Hunters thanks Wright's Liquid Smoke for sending us samples of their product and invite you to enter their Deer Days Sweepstakes-- a chance to win a $500 Bass Pro Gift Card and a Wright's Liquid Smoke Gift Pack! Enter on Wright's Facebook page once per day and unlock three mouthwatering venison recipes from Wright's upon entry. Hurry, because the sweepstake closes December 20!

*This is a great dish to utilize any scraps when processing your deer. We try not to waste any meat that does not make the steak or roast pile by trimming away as much as we can. Jen uses a Havalon knife for this chore, and she wields it like a magic wand!

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Servings: 8-10
Ingredients:
- 1 lb of venison
- 1 can of baked beans (55 ounce)
- 2/3 + 3/4 cup of barbecue sauce
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 slices of thick cut bacon
- 1 tablespoon of dried mustard
- 1 tablespoon of Wright's Liquid Smoke*
-  1/2 teaspoon of olive oil
- 1/3 cup of apple juice
- 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar
- 1/4 cup of ketchup
- 1/4 cup of molasses
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- kosher salt, to taste

1. Clean and cube venison.  Lightly salt the meat. Add the olive oil to a heated frying pan. When the oil has been brought to medium-high temperature, add meat and brown ( but do not over cook!) It should look a little toasty around the edges.

2. Add the browned venison into a slow cooker and pour the apple juice and 2/3 cup of bar-b-cue sauce over the meat. Mix well and cook at low for 2 hours.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  In a large skillet, cook bacon slices about half way. Don't let it get crunchy.  You don't want to render all the fat out of it. Then discard all of the bacon grease but 1 tablespoon. Return the frying pan to the stove and when grease is hot, brown onion until tender, about 3-5 minutes. While the onion is browning, chop bacon into 1/2 to 3/4 inch pieces.

4. Drain liquid from the can of beans BUT save the liquid in a bowl and set aside for possible later use. 

In a large bowl combine the beans, cooked venison, 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, brown sugar, ketchup, molasses, chili powder, dry mustard and liquid smoke. Mix well and add the bacon and cooked onions.

5. Place combined ingredients in a oven proof casserole or dutch oven.  

Cook uncovered for 1 hour.  If after 1 hour the consistency is too thick, you may add more bean liquid to bring the beans to a desirable consistency.  After removing the beans from the oven, let stand for 5-10 minutes and serve.