Spicy bacon and black pepper baked beans

Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 4 ½ hours, mostly unsupervised

Makes: 8 to 10 servings

I make this recipe a day or two in advance; the beans taste even better when reheated. If you cannot find black pepper bacon, use regular bacon and add 2 teaspoons ground black pepper to the beans.

1 pound dried great northern or white beans

¼ cup bacon fat from black pepper bacon OR 4 strips black pepper bacon, diced

1 large sweet onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, crushed

3to4 ounces diced boneless pork shoulder or smoked ham, optional

2 small ribs celery, diced

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

½to¾ cup spicy barbecue

sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon salt

1. Rinse

beans in a colander and inspect for small pebbles. Put beans in a large saucepan or Dutch oven. Add bacon fat (or diced bacon) and half of the onion and garlic. Add cold water to cover everything by 2 inches. Heat to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to very low; partly cover the pan and simmer over the lowest heat until beans are tender, about 2 hours. (Add more water if needed during cooking to keep beans submerged.) Let cool. Beans can be refrigerated in their liquid for up to 3 days.

2. Heat

oven to 350 degrees. Strain beans over a large bowl to catch the liquid. Return beans to a Dutch oven or ceramic baking dish with a lid. Add remaining chopped onion and garlic, plus the pork shoulder, celery, brown sugar, barbecue sauce, mustard and salt. Stir in 1 cup of the reserved bean cooking liquid.

3. Put

a piece of parchment paper over the pot, then cover tightly with the lid. Bake, stirring once or twice, 1 ½ hours. Uncover and stir beans. Return to the oven and bake uncovered, stirring once or twice to concentrate the flavors, about 1 hour. Serve warm.

Notes:

Alternatively for step 1 you can cook the beans, bacon fat, onion and garlic in a stovetop or electric pressure cooker following manufacturer’s directions for adding water and cooking times.

Nutrition information per serving:

226 calories, 1 g fat, 0 g saturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 47 g carbohydrates, 21 g sugar, 10 g protein, 427 mg sodium, 8 g fiber

ABEL URIBE/CHICAGO TRIBUNE; SHANNON KINSELLA/FOOD STYLING