BBQ Sausage, Beans, and Greens
Try this BBQ Sausage, Beans, and Greens recipe, or contribute your own.
Try this BBQ Sausage, Beans, and Greens recipe, or contribute your own.
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup bbq sauce (i used stubb's sticky sweet)
- 1 large shallot or small onion chopped
- 4 cups chopped kale
- 12 oz fully cooked smoked sausage cut into coins
- 2 , 15oz cans great northern beans (could use cannel drained and rinsed
- Carbohydrate 1.23860499895294 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 1.32078499997398 g
- Fiber 0.268549993526414 g
- Protein 0.2829599997608 g
- Saturated Fat 0.184673199994463 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (100g)
- Sodium 7.39279999537509 mg
- Sugar 0.97005500542653 g
- Trans Fat 0.0442996999920817 g
- Calories 17 calories
Step-by-step
- Stir together BBQ sauce, water, and tomato paste in a bowl then set aside.
- Heat oil in a large, 12†skillet over heat that’s a touch above medium. Add chopped kale and shallots then saute for 2 minutes. Add smoked sausage then continue to saute until kale is tender and sausage is browned, 5-7 minutes. Add beans and BBQ sauce mixture then gently stir to combine. Turn heat down to medium then cover skillet with a lid and simmer for 2 minutes, or until beans are warmed through, and then serve.
Tomato paste acts as the primary thickener and umami anchor in this skillet combination, bridging the gap between smoky barbecue sauce and earthy greens. Standard barbecue sauces rely heavily on high sugar contents that scorch easily over direct heat, making the addition of water and tomato paste essential for diluting the simple sugars while maintaining body.
Skillet cooking greens alongside cured meats presents a specific textural challenge: leafy brassicas like kale require gentle steam to break down tough cellular walls without losing their bright chlorophyll color. Sautéing the chopped kale and shallots in extra virgin olive oil for precisely 2 minutes initiates softening before the denser sausage coins enter the pan. Browning those sausage coins alongside the greens takes between 5 and 7 minutes, a window that allows rendered animal fats to coat the pan and fry the kale edges.
Historically, combining smoked meats with legumes and bitter greens reflects preservation traditions across American southern cookery, where wood smoke preserved proteins through warm months and sturdy brassicas survived winter frosts. Chemistry dictates that the Maillard reaction on the surface of the sausage coins releases volatile aroma compounds, which dissolve into the simmering liquid when the great northern beans and barbecue sauce mixture enter the skillet. Covering the 12-inch skillet with a lid traps steam, allowing the beans to absorb ambient moisture and warm thoroughly within 2 minutes of simmering over medium heat.
Swapping great northern beans for cannellini beans requires no ratio adjustments since both maintain similar starch densities and skin thickness. Leftovers store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days, though the kale will continue softening as it rests in the sauce.
