Bourbon Baked Beans

From Julie Van Rosendaal

2017 Jul/Aug

  • Britannia Plaza

Smoky baked beans simmered with bourbon makes a natural pairing. Starting with dry beans is worth your while – it takes a little extra time, but not much effort.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. dry navy (little white) beans
  • 1 small onion, finely chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 3/4 c. ketchup
  • 1/4 c. packed brown sugar
  • 1/4 c. molasses
  • 1/4 c. bourbon
  • 2 T. grainy mustard
  • 2 T. balsamic vinegar
  • 1 t. each salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 ham bone, smoked pork hock or handful of diced ham (optional)

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325°F. If you want to kick-start the bean cooking process by soaking them, cover them with water and leave them overnight; otherwise just place the dry beans in a medium pot, add enough water to cover by a couple of inches and bring to a simmer. Cook for about an hour, until tender but still a bit firm to the bite. Drain, reserving the cooking water. Transfer the beans to your bean pot (or a heavy baking dish) and add the onion, garlic, ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, bourbon, mustard, balsamic, salt and pepper. Tuck in the ham bone or stir in the chopped ham. Add 2 cups of the leftover cooking water (add regular water to top it up if you need to) and stir to combine.

Cover and bake for 3-4 hours, uncovering for the last hour or so, or until the beans are tender and the sauce is thick and sticky around the edges. If the beans seem too dry, add a bit more water. Serves 8.