Western Ribs, Pit Beans, Fried Bread, Fried Pies, on the Trunk Monkey

This cook was done on my Char-Broil 500X which is affectionately called the “Trunk Monkey” on some other forums. I had the grid setup with 1/2 direct and 1/2 indirect for this large cook. 



I started with my Pit Beans which will take the longest and used this recipe...it is cut down from my larger recipe. (Rick Salmon’s Pit Beans)

one 16 or 16-1/2 oz can of Bush’s Original baked beans
4 oz your favorite sweet bbq sauce
1/4 cup water
1/3 cup finely diced onion
3 TBL finely diced bell pepper
3 TBL finely diced celery stalk
2 TBL prepared mustard
1-1/2 tsp your favorite pork rub
1-1/2 tsp celery seed
one cup of loosely packed cooked and chopped pork butt

enough brown sugar to adequately cover to a depth of at least 1/2” on top of your container of beans. Bout 1 to 1- 1/2 cups should work depending on the size of your cooking container.

Place all but the brown sugar in your pot and stir well. Then add the brown sugar on top but DO NOT stir it into the mix. Let the brown sugar melt down into the beans. Throw them on a smoker and let them do the low and slow for a few hours. 



I used a 2 quart black iron pot and this is the beans less the brown sugar. 



Ready to go on the cooker.

At this time I also prepared 3 large Western ribs for the cook with my favorite pork rub and got them ready for the cooker.



Looking at the cooker, I have the left side indirect and the right side direct. I placed the pot of beans on the indirect side and then added a cooking grid over the top of the pot. I then placed two of my large Western ribs on this raised grid so all that goodness can run off into my beans. I placed the 3rd rib on the standard cooking grid. On the right or direct side, I placed my black iron skillet which will be used for the fried cornbread and the fried pies.



Nice crisp morning with a temp of around 29 degrees....perfect weather for an outside cook. The “Trunk Monkey” doing its thing!

While my pan is heating up, I made up my cornbread mix. Now, I said bread and not corn cake which most folks think is corn bread.

Old Dave’s recipe for REAL  cornbread. This is also cut down from my larger recipe.

1 cup of fresh coarse ground corn meal
2 TBL flour
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sweet buttermilk
1 beaten egg
1 TBL bacon grease
Enough bacon grease or lard for the pan.

Sift the dry ingredients together and then add the wet stuff and stir lightly until it is mixed...do not over-stir or over-mix as lumpy batter is ok. 



Spoon it into the hot skillet and it’s ready to go.



Brown em up and get them off the cooker when they are done.



Come off the cooker looking good.



Pork and the Pit Beans starting to look pretty good.

Next step was to make up my fried apple pies. I got them ready and cooked them as well in my black iron skillet. 



The pies fried up nice and I couldn’t wait and split one with the bride. 



Fried apple pies.



The Western ribs and Pit Beans about ready to come off the cooker. They both cooked about 4 hours. 



Pit Beans just off the cooker.



Two of the Western ribs just off the cooker.



My plate.



Fried apple pie cut open.



That is one slick little cooker for sure........