Baked Beans

I always liked baked beans as a kid, but as an adult, meh. These, however, I love. They are a world away from the the saccharine, mushy, HFCS-containing canned ones.

The first time I made this recipe, it was summer, I was trying to cut down on cooking time, and so I used pre-cooked canned beans. While the results were okay, they were a lot mushier than I would have liked. I don't recommend using canned beans unless you're going for baked beans refritos.

Finally, beans make some people gassy, especially people who don't eat a lot of beans. To avoid this, pre-soak the beans in hot water for up to 24 hours, then drain and rinse, and cook in different water. (This also reduces cooking time.)

Smokey Baked Beans
Adapted, liberally, from Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything
15 minutes prep, then 2-4 hours unattended, then another 15 minutes prep.

3/4 lb white northern beans, pre-soaked and rinsed
1 yellow onion, minced
1 tablespoon bacon lard*
1 cup apple cider**
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup water
1/2 tablespoon dry (English) mustard
1/2 teaspoon Hungarian paprika
salt and pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 chipotle en adobo, seeded and minced (or some cayenne pepper)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 can tomato paste
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon bacon lard
1/3 lb bacon

1. Heat the bacon lard in a 2 1/2 quart casserole with a lid over low-medium heat. Mince the onion and saute approximately 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add the beans, stock, water, cider, and spices. Bring to a simmer while you mince the garlic and chipotle, then add them, cover the pan and reduce heat. Simmer 2 hours until beans are just tender, adding more water by the 1/2 cup as needed. (NOTE: Cooking times for beans vary enormously. If timing is an issue, cook to this point the night before and store in the fridge. This also makes the beans extra-flavorful.)

3. Add the tomato paste and return to a simmer. Simmer 1.5 hours. Add the vinegar.

4. Pre-heat a large frying pan with the additional tablespoon bacon lard over medium heat. Slice the uncooked bacon into 1/4 inch strips and fry, stirring frequently, until it is very crisp. Add the bacon strips to the beans along with 1/2 of the fat from the pan, stir, and serve immediately while the bacon is still crisp.

* I always reserve the fat when I make bacon because it's delicious (and it can damage your pipes if you pour it down the drain), so I always have some around. If you don't, you can substitute olive oil or another fat of your choice.

**I keep this on hand during the winter months. I buy it by the gallon and throw in a half-dozen cinnamon sticks and a handful of cloves. (The spices preserve the cider for months, even at room temperature.) I think the spices add additional depth to the flavor of the beans, but they'd still be very good without them.

Note for vegetarians: You *could* make these vegetarian, I guess, by adding an extra onion, omitting the bacon, and using vegetable oil in place of the bacon lard. But expect any friends who love smokey, porky things as much as I do to be sorely disappointed.