Alabama Baked Beans Recipes

Steps:

• Rinse and pick through beans; soak them overnight in large pot of water.
• Place the beans in a colander and rinse well under cold running water. Transfer beans to a heavy saucepan. Cover with water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain, reserving the liquid.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees farenheit.
• Heat a 2-quart ovenproof casserole or dutch oven over medium heat; saute the bacon until it is slightly crisp and fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until wilted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Add the brown sugar and stir over medium-low heat until dissolved, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ketchup, syrup, molasses, Worcestershire, salt, and pepper. Add the drained beans and mix well.
• Cover casserole and transfer to oven. Bake, stirring occasionally (making sure you scrap the bottom of the casserole), for 2/12 hours.
• Add 3/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid, recover, and bake 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake until the sauce is thick and syrupy, another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once. Serve hot.

Steps:

• Pick over and rinse 1 lb dried navy beans (2 1/4 cups). Soak in cold water to cover by 2 inches at least 8 hours. Alternatively, quick-soak beans (see cooks' note, below). Drain.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse and pat dry 1 (1/4-lb) piece salt pork (rind discarded), then cut into 3 pieces.
• Put beans and pork in an ovenproof 3-quart heavy pot with a lid. Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 large onion (finely chopped; about 2 cups), 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dry English mustard (preferably Colman's), and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Cover pot and bake until beans are just tender, 3 to 4 hours.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Remove lid. Bake beans, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed but beans are still saucy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste.

Steps:

• Soak beans in a large bowl of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain beans and put them in a large oven-safe pot with a heavy bottom and a tightfitting lid. Add 1 teaspoon salt and enough cool water to cover 2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until the beans are just tender, approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Drain and remove beans.
• Heat the oven to 250 degrees. Bring a kettle full of water to a boil on the stove. Return the heavy-bottomed pot to the stove and turn the heat to medium high. Cook the bacon in the bottom of the pot until it begins to brown, then turn off the heat and add the chopped onion and, on top of it, the beans. Mix together molasses, mustard and black pepper, and add the mixture to the pot. Pour in enough boiling water to cover beans, put the lid on and bake, occasionally adding more water to keep beans covered, until they are tender but not falling apart, 4 to 5 hours.
• Remove beans from oven, uncover, stir and season with salt. With the lid off, return pot to oven and let beans finish cooking, uncovered and without additional water, until the sauce has thickened and the top is deeply crusty, about 45 minutes more.