This year has been full of unprecedented times and situations. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many families and individuals will be cooking at home this holiday season. That’s why we are bringing the dishes to you all month long in our Quarantine Kitchen series. We talked to twenty-three chefs who willingly shared some of their favorite dishes to prepare for the holidays. Stay tuned Dec. 1 through 24 on the blog as well as our social media channels for a new dish to feature in your home each day and let’s get cooking!
If you’ve walked around Downtown Raleigh recently, there’s a chance you’ve come across the And Also With ‘Cue food truck set up at the First Baptist Church of Raleigh, 99 N. Salisbury St. The truck is a collaborative project between the Church and Smokin’ Story BBQ, a competition team launched in 2010 by three central North Carolina friends.
David With, pitmaster, is one of those three. He said that the team realized early on that they had a chance to create something special with their cooking.
“In our first competition we took second place, and so we all realized we were on to something,” he said. “At the time I was serving as a minister, and so I wanted to try and take this barbecue hobby and turn it into a faith-based business.”
Ten years of work later, And Also With ‘Cue was born. It’s been just over a year now since the food truck started operations, With has used that time to help those in need. Twice a month, the food truck provides 150 sandwiches with sides and drinks to the clients of the Salvation Army’s Clothing Closet, provided entirely on the profits the truck makes.
“We decided to go with a for-profit model, because we didn’t want to be asking for donations,” With said. “We wanted the customers and the community to be able to meet the demand and the need in the downtown area.”
With called these holiday beans a “classic recipe” and a great way to make use of leftover meat after the holidays. With hints of molasses and smoky flavor, it’s sure to be a hit at the dinner table when the weather turns cold.
Food Truck Smoked Holiday Beans
Ingredients:
• 1 cup coarsely chopped NC pork shoulder BBQ or smoked pork belly
• 2 40-ounce cans Bush’s Baked Beans Original
• 1 cup thick BBQ sauce (preferably with molasses in it)
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/8 cup yellow mustard
• 1 tablespoon Bone Suckin’ Sauce BBQ Rub
• 2 chunks seasoned NC hickory or apple wood
Instructions:
- Drain excess liquid off beans.
- Combine all ingredients in deep pan.
- Mix well & leave uncovered.
- Smoke beans at 225 to 250 degrees using the hickory or apple wood chunks or a few handfuls of non-soaked wood chips. If on charcoal grill, cook indirectly over coolest part of grill at a low temp.
- Stir every hour or so. Cook 4 to 5 hours until beans are bubbly and have thickened.
- Let rest 15 minutes before serving.