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Baked Beans
From: Bonnie Napoli
I bake this dish in an earthenware crock on top of my blazing wood stove on cold wintry
days. Bubbling merrily away, with just an occasional stir of my ladle, the beans' sweet
smell fills the house, along with the occasional smoke puffing out from the stove during
strong wind gusts. I have also used a well-seasoned cast-iron Dutch oven.
You can bake these beans in a slow oven (225F) for about 8 hours or until they are
tender to your liking. On the wood stove, it might take an entire night and day,
depending upon which beans you choose and how long you soaked them.
I like pinto or black beans for their zip, although I have used Soldier Beans, Cranberry,
or Jacob's Cattle Beans. I grow many different varieties of dried beans, and so at times, I
mix varieties in the pot. But, due to differences in bean size, soaking times will vary, so
stick with one bean for your first time, then experiment with other types and mixes.
Be warned: the finished product will be dark, almost black, looking nothing like the
canned variety of baked beans.
Also, a decent amount of good bourbon will add a nice flavor when added near the end of
the cooking.
1
1
lb. dried beans = 2 1/4 to 2 1/3 cups dried beans = 6 to 7 cups cooked beans
lb. beans
Cold water
½ tsp. salt (optional)
3
1
1
1
/4 cup salt pork cubes
/4 cup brown sugar
/4 cup molasses
tsp. dry mustard
a good splash of REAL maple syrup
1
very large onion
Soak beans overnight in cold, salted water. Drain.
Pour the beans into a large crock. Add all other ingredients except for the onion, and stir
well. Fill the crock with hot water a few inches from the top, and stir well.
Shove the onion (you may halve it first but don't have to) down into the middle of the
beans with a ladle. Cover. Give the mixture an occasional stir once it gets bubbling. Add
more hot water as necessary since the sauce will reduce during cooking before the beans
are tender.
About the Author: Bonnie Napoli, author of SHADOWS OF THE ECLIPSE (available
at www.starpublications.com ) is an award-winning author who prefers writing to
cooking any day! She lives in the northwest corner of Connecticut where blustery
winters abound; thus easy, one pots meals that cook themselves on the ever-going wood
stove are her favorites. Excepting take-out, of course. Thankfully, her husband doesn't
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