PAT Every Fourth of July, Mama Neely made her famous baked beans: she’d brown ground beef and then doctor that beef with molasses, brown sugar, and plenty of spices. Let me tell you, those beans were good. And so are these. We’ve found that using smoked sausage in place of the ground beef (or pork shoulder, as in our restaurant recipe) adds a smoky depth to the dish. Once you make these beans, there is no going back. If you want to put your own spin on it, you can use kidney beans instead of pork and beans, but I say my mama’s way is best.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　2 tablespoons canola oil

　　1 large onion, finely chopped

　　3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

　　1/2 pound smoked sausage, sliced

　　Three 16-ounce cans pork and beans

　　1/2 cup ketchup

　　1/2 cup light molasses

　　1/4 cup light-brown sugar

　　2 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar

　　2 tablespoons prepared mustard

　　Dash of hot sauce, preferably Tabasco

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

　　

Step 2

Heat the oil in a Dutch oven set over medium-high heat. Once it’s hot, toss in the onion and garlic, and sauté until the onion is tender, about 3 or 4 minutes. Add the sausage, and continue to cook until the meat has browned, about 4 minutes more. Stir in the pork and beans, ketchup, molasses, sugar, vinegar, mustard, and hot sauce. Bring the beans up to a simmer, then put in the hot oven for 45 minutes, uncovered, until the mixture is bubbly and thick.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Neelys' Celebration Cookbook by Pat and Gina Nelly. Copyright © 2011 by Pat and Gina Nelly with Anna Volkwein. Excerpted by permission of Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.Pat and Gina Neely are restaurateurs, best-selling authors, popular speakers, and hosts of the Food Network hit series Down Home with the Neelys. They recently opened their first New York City restaurant, Neely's Barbecue Parlor. They live with their daughters in Memphis, where they enjoy cooking at home with family and friends.Ann Volkwein is a best-selling food and lifestyle author based in New York City and Austin, Texas. Her previous books include: The Arthur Avenue Cookbook, Chinatown New York, Mixt Greens (with Andrew Swallow), and, with Guy Fieri: Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; More Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives; and Guy Fieri Food.