Lynne's Caramelized Baked Beans
Source of Recipe
by Marsha, from the Abilene Reporter
Recipe Introduction
These beans are outrageous. What with the sugar and bacon, they caramelize in the oven. All the spicing lends balance and a little kick. You could cook the beans one day, bake them the next and reheat them up to three days after that.
List of Ingredients
1 pound dried organic navy beans, covered with boiling water and soaked 2 hours
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
4 large cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
4 medium to large onions, chopped
1 pound good-quality sliced bacon, chopped
1 box dark brown sugar
1/2 cup (or more, as needed) cider vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup spicy dark brown mustard
2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to tasteRecipe
Drain the beans, turn them into a heavy 6-quart pot that can go into the oven, and add water to cover them by 3 inches. Stir in the allspice, 2 of the garlic cloves and 1 of the chopped onions. Simmer, partially covered, 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender, but not falling apart. Remove beans from the heat, set a colander over a bowl and pour in the beans so they are drained, but their liquid is saved.
Clean the pot.
Set pot over medium heat and add the bacon. Slowly cook until it has given off most of its fat, but bacon is not crisp. Spoon off all but about 4 tablespoons. Stir in the rest of the onion and saute until soft. Add the rest of the garlic, cooking about 30 seconds. Stir in sugar, vinegar, mustard, Tabasco, a good amount of black pepper and the beans. Add about 2 cups of their liquid, or enough to make a slightly soupy mixture. Bring to a simmer and taste for sweet-tart balance and salt.
Bake covered in a 325-degree oven for 2 hours. Uncover and bake another 45 minutes, or until beans are thick and look almost glazed. As the beans bake, taste for more vinegar, and other seasonings. Serve hot. They rewarm beautifully.
Serves 6 to 8
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