Baked Beans

In a previous article, I talked about protein replacements. Since Baked Beans is one of my favorite foods, I decided to post the recipe I found which makes the beans taste the best as far as I am concerned.

I can't claim this recipe as my own, but I hope you will find it as enjoyable as I do. It has the sugar reduced to 1/3 what the original called for, I find that it is plenty to add just the right amount of sweetness to it. I also tend not to use as much garlic in mine as some folks like, but anything here can be changed according to your taste.

Items Required:

1 1/2 cups dried pinto beans
1 1/2 cups dried kidney beans
1 1/2 cups dry great Northern beans
14 cups water
1/2 pound salt pork, cut into 1/8" strips
1 large onion, chopped
1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cups packed brown sugar
3 cups water
3 teaspoons dry mustard
3 tablespoons molasses
11/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound bacon, chopped
1 cloves garlic, minced

Pick over and wash the dried beans. Wash the beans well and then drain. Combine the beans and water in a large Dutch oven or cast-iron pot. (This is important to bring out the flavor of the beans.) Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Remove the beans from the heat, cover and allow to stand for one hour. Drain the beans and return them to the Dutch oven.

Stir in the remaining ingredients, leaving the salt pork near the top of the mixture. Cover and bake at 300° for three hours. Uncover the beans, and bake them 30 minutes more or until beans are tender.

While this recipe makes a nice sized pot of beans, I would recommend that you serve the beans in a small bowl as a side dish rather than as the main dish.