andrus style bbq

A few weekends ago Adam and I decided that it had been way too long since we last enjoyed some good 'ol bbq. We both love ribs, pulled pork, brisket, baked beans, smoked chicken and really anything else that can be smothered in bbq sauce. Sadly, we live in Denver...where bbq has not yet been discovered. Sure, a few spots serve what Denverites would call bbq, but it's not. No my friends, it's not.

Although it's no Memphis, I grew up in Kansas and we do know bbq. Good bbq. Perfectly smoked bbq. Fall off the bone, nice 'n tender, delicious bbq. You get the idea...

Kansas bbq

Anyway, once the craving hit, all Adam and I could think about was a lightly toasted bun, covered in smoked pulled pork with tangy sauce, topped with dill pickles. So with that, off to the store. We bought a pork butt, some fixings for sides and prepared ourselves for a feast that would follow the next day.

Starting at 10am the next morning, the rub went on the pork butt. It then went back in the fridge for 2 hours so that the spices could set. After that, it then went onto a kettle grill with hickory wood chips added every half hour for three hours. Once the smoking was complete, the pork butt went into the oven uncovered for another three hours so the bark could set up - the best part, in my humble opinion.

During this time we also started the baked beans...mama Smith style. Now, my mom is an excellent cook, but baked beans are one of her specialties. The secret? Starting with a can of Bush's Original, she adds extra bacon, worcestershire sauce and brown sugar...ahem, lots of brown sugar. Then, she lets them warm for at least three hours in the oven, stirring every so often until the sauce is nice and thick.

So...once the pork reached 190 degrees in the oven, it was ready to be pulled. We quickly pulled apart the meat, constructed our sandwiches, dished up some pasta salad and baked beans, poured a cold beer and sat down on the porch.

After eight hours of smelling our delicious dinner, we were finally able to enjoy it. And enjoy it, we did!

Do you have any yummy bbq dishes that you'd be willing to share?!