The menu at Fat Matt’s Rib Shack features a selection of six side dishes, but the standout for our family is undoubtedly the “rum” baked beans. They are a must-have with any meal. If only we could replicate them at home, we might try different sides when we dine there. Could they possibly share their secret recipe?

— Noelle Latham, Decatur

Upon contacting Wes James, the co-owner of Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, he amazingly recited the recipe from memory.

Given the high demand, it’s understandable why he knows it by heart. The eatery makes 45 to 55 gallons of baked beans weekly. For restaurant use, each batch includes 28 pounds of canned navy beans and 7 pounds of ketchup, along with other ingredients. We’ve adapted the recipe for home cooking. While it still makes a large quantity, it is simple to halve the recipe if a smaller batch is needed.

“I like baked beans with the fat and flavor of bacon, but because we offer this as a vegetarian option, there’s no bacon in our recipe. But someone making it at home can add bacon if they like,” James said.

Canned navy beans can be difficult to find at the grocery store. One pound of dried navy beans, more easily found, will cook up to 6 cups of beans so substitute 1 1/2 pounds of dried navy beans, cooked according to package directions, for the canned beans called for in this recipe. Or substitute canned pinto beans. They do not drain or rinse the beans at the restaurant and we found that worked best when preparing these beans at home.

Fat Matt’s Rib Shack’s “Rum” Baked Beans

9 cups canned vegetarian navy beans (from 6 15-ounce cans)

1 1/3 cups ketchup

1 cup plus 2 tablespoons lightly packed dark brown sugar

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup chopped onion

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons Cajun Chef Louisiana hot sauce

2 tablespoons dark spiced rum

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine beans, ketchup, brown sugar, mustard, onion, vinegar, hot sauce, and rum. Transfer the mixture to a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Cover the dish with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil, stir the beans, and continue to bake for an additional 10 minutes or until the mixture bubbles at the edges. It can be served hot or warm.

Makes 11 cups.

Per 1/2-cup serving: 206 calories (2% of calories from fat), 10 grams protein, 41 grams carbohydrates, 12 grams total sugars, 7 grams fiber, 1 gram total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 768 milligrams sodium.

From the menu of Fat Matt’s Rib Shack, located at 1811 Piedmont Ave. NE, Atlanta; 404-607-1622, fatmattsribshack.net.

Is there a recipe from a metro Atlanta restaurant you’d like to make at home? Tell us and we’ll try to get it. We’ll also test it and adapt it for the home kitchen. Because of volume, we can’t answer all inquiries. Send your request, your address and phone number to fromthemenu@gmail.com and put “From the menu of” and the name of the restaurant in the subject line.

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About the Author

C.W. Cameron is a freelance writer who has been covering local food and recipes for the AJC since 2009.

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