Ingredients for the Bacon Baked Beans
- 1 pound Dried Navy Beans
- Kosher Salt
- 1 Red Onion, roughly chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 2 Fresh Bay Leaves
- Bacon Fat
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- 2 teaspoons Chili Powder
- 3 tablespoons Tomato Paste
- 1 cup Tomato Puree
- ½ cup Molasses
- ⅓ cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Brown Mustard
- 2 cups bean cooking liquid, reserved
- Black Pepper and Salt to taste
- 6-8 slices Uncooked Bacon
Ingredients for Italian Baked Beans
- 4 cans Cannellini Beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 Yellow Onion, diced
- ½ pound Italian Sausage (hot or mild), removed from casing
- 2 teaspoons Ground Fennel
- 2 tablespoons Fresh Oregano
- 1 ½ cup Tomato Puree
- 1 cup Chicken Stock or Water
- 1 tablespoon Red Wine vinegar
- ½-¾ cup Shredded Parmesan Cheese +¼ cup to garnish
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Ingredients for Honduran Baked Beans
- 1 pound Dried Black Beans
- Kosher Salt
- 1 Red Onion, roughly chopped/quartered
- 1 Smoked Ham Hock (~1 pound)
- 4 cloves Garlic, smashed
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 1 bunch Cilantro Stems, tied with butcher’s twine (reserve leaves for garnish at end)
- 1 can Coconut Milk
- Juice of 1 lime (~1 tablespoon)
- 1 pound Peeled Yuca Root, cubed
- 2 tomatoes, cubed (~1 pound)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:
Bacon Baked Beans
YIELD: 1 9x13 dish, ~8 servings
1. In a medium bowl, cover beans with cold water by several inches and stir in 1 tablespoon (15g) salt. Let beans soak at least 12 hours and up to 1 day. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine beans with red onion, garlic cloves, and bay leaf in a large pot and cover with water by several inches. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, topping up with water as necessary, until beans are fully tender, 45-65 minutes. Using tongs, discard bay leaves.
3. Drain beans and reserve cooking liquid, you will have about 2 cups of cooking liquid.
4. Saute chopped yellow onion in bacon fat until tender. Add chili powder and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add tomato paste, cook for 2-3 minutes, until dark.
6. Add tomato puree, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, and pepper. Cook until bubbling.
7. Stir beans into onion mixture. Add reserved bean cooking liquid ¼ cup at a time until the beans are saucy, but not soupy. You will likely need only 1 cup of the liquid to achieve this.
8. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
9. Pour coated beans into 9x13 baking dish, and top with bacon slices.
10. Bake at 325˚ for 2-3 hours, until crusty on top and bacon has rendered. If beans look like they’re drying out before the bacon is done, add more reserved bean cooking liquid and gently stir to combine, leaving bacon untouched on top.
Italian Baked Beans
YIELD: 1 9x13 Dish, ~8 servings
1. Heat olive oil in stock pot and add onion when hot. Saute until translucent, 5-7 minutes.
2. Add sausage meat and brown, breaking it apart as it cooks.
3. Add fennel and oregano, cook 2 minutes.
4. Shut off the heat and add tomato puree, chicken stock, and vinegar, stir to combine.
5. Add beans, stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
6. Pour beans into 9x13 baking dish.
7. Scatter cheese over beans in dish.
8. Bake at 325˚ for 30-40 minutes, until cheese is bubbling. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top before serving.
Honduran Baked Beans
Yield: 8-10 servings
1. In a medium bowl, cover beans with cold water by several inches and stir in 1 tablespoon (15g) salt. Let beans soak at least 12 hours and up to 1 day. Drain and rinse.
2. Combine beans with red onion, ham hock, garlic, bay leaves, and cilantro stems in a Dutch oven and cover with water by several inches. Add a generous pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook, topping up with water as necessary, until beans are fully tender, about 45 minutes. Using tongs, discard cilantro stems and bay leaves.
3. Using a ladle, scoop out as much bean cooking liquid as you can, about 2 cups. Reserve this and set aside.
4. Stir coconut milk and lime juice into beans, season pot with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Stir cubed yuca and tomato into beans.
6. Place Dutch oven in oven at 325˚, uncovered, for 2-3 hours, until yuca is tender and beans are flavorful. Stir every hour or so to re-expose the top of the beans. If beans are drying out before yuca is tender, add reserved bean cooking liquid. When finished, garnish with cilantro leaves.