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A popular dish in Tuscany is a straight-forward T-bone steak with white beans. So this quick steak dinner that I made this past weekend is Tuscan-inspired but Appalachian-influenced since I'm using East Tennessee's own Bush's® Beans.
I used a ribeye instead of a T-bone because the ribeyes looked the best. |
Cooking Strategy
My strategy was to set up a two-zone fire on a simple charcoal grill. I did my skillet cooking directly over the coals until it was time to simmer. Then I slid the beans to the indirect side, raised the grill temperature, and seared the steak directly over the coals.
Equipment Strategy
For this cook, I chose to use my old CharBroil 500x. This tabletop grill is no longer in production but the Oklahoma Joe Rambler is an improved similar version. Tuscan grilling is basic (in a good way) and this aged grill is like that too. That's really the main reason that I picked this particular grill for this cook.
This grill is set up for a two-zone fire with all of the fuel on the right side for sauteing and grilling and the left side is left open for indirect cooking. |
Certified Angus Beef Brand® ribeye steak with white beans and bacon |
Confession: This is my bean and bacon soup recipe with less stock. Just about 1/2 to 1 cup more of stock and you'll have a quick and tasty soup.
White Beans and Bacon
Published 06/22/2020
Ingredients
- 3 strips Smithfield Homestyle bacon, chopped
- 1/4 cup carrot, peeled and finely diced
- 1/4 cup sweet onion, peeled and finely chopped
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 1 can Bush's Great Northern Beans or other white beans, rinsed and drained
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon finely ground white pepper
Instructions
- Place cast-iron skillet or another grill-safe, non-stick skillet on a 350°f grill (medium heat) and allow it to preheat for 5 minutes.
- Add the bacon, carrot and onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the bacon is turning brown and slightly crispy.
- Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and whisk until the flour and bacon fat combine to form a light roux, 1-2 minutes. Slowly add the stock while whisking until it is fully combined. OPTIONS - If you want rustic beans, leave this as is and move to step 4. For a finer sauce, use an immersion blender to process the liquid mixture before proceeding to step 4. We like it both ways.
- Stir in the drained white beans. Season with the salt and pepper. Push to the indirect heat on the grill or over a low heat burner, and let simmer lightly while you cook the steak.
- Season to taste with additional salt, as desired.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 10 mins.Cook time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.
Total time: 30 mins.
Tags: skilletI seasoned this beautiful Certified Angus Beef® ribeye steak from Food City with my NMT Beef Rub v.2 recipe, loosely covered it, and put it back in the fridge for about 4 hours to let it "dry brine". I took it back out 1 hour before I was ready to grill. |
Lighting up a stack of Kingsford blue bag using a JJ George grill torch. Kingsford is doing a pretty cool thing to help support BBQ joints right now. They are opening a $5,000 tab at certain restaurants on a scheduled day. Check out their Famous Bites page for details and recipes from those restaurants. |
The mise en place for my beans. If you do a lot of cooking outdoors, do yourself a favor and get a tray like this. They reduce the number of trips back and forth and also make clean up easier. |
Finishing up. If your beans simmer too long and get thicker than you like, you can always stir in a smidgen more of stock to thin it out. I like them thick. |
There you have it. Straight forward, tender, and amazing. |
Want more delicious recipes and grilling tips? I have two great books available for sale through Ulysses Press. The Kamado Smoker and Grill Cookbook The Offset Smoker and Grill Cookbook. |