Fake Baked Beans With Crispy Bacon
Published February 13, 2007
Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times
- Total Time
- 2 hours 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
1 pound dry white beans, like navy, pea or cannellini (see note)
2 whole cloves
1 small onion, halved lengthwise and peeled
2 garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon salt, more to taste
¼ cup ketchup
¼ cup molasses
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 ½ teaspoons dry mustard powder
¼ teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 slices thick-cut bacon
Chopped red onion, for garnish
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
42 grams carbs; 29 milligrams cholesterol; 368 calories; 7 grams monosaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 6 grams saturated fat; 17 grams fat; 8 grams fiber; 595 milligrams sodium; 13 grams protein; 28 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
Cover beans with water to top them by 2 inches and refrigerate overnight, or bring to boil in water to cover, cool 1 hour.
- Step 2
Drain and rinse beans. Put them in a pot. Stick whole cloves into onion halves and add to pot along with garlic and bay leaf. Cover with enough water to top them by 1 inch. Simmer beans, partly covered, until just tender, about 1 to 2 hours depending upon age and size of beans; do not overcook. Add boiling water if beans look dry during cooking; they should be surrounded by just a little liquid.
- Step 3
Remove onion, cloves, garlic (if desired) and bay leaf from pot. Stir in the salt.
- Step 4
In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard powder, Tabasco and pepper. Pour mixture into beans and stir well. Add a slice of bacon to pot and bring everything to a simmer. Let simmer over low heat until beans are thickened, about 30 to 45 minutes. Remove bacon slice, if desired. Season with more salt if needed.
- Step 5
Just before serving, reheat beans, if necessary. Fry remaining bacon in large skillet and drain on paper-towel-lined plate. Transfer beans to heated gratin dish or baking pan and top with bacon and red onion. Serve hot.
You can substitute three 15-ounce cans of white beans, if desired. Put them, with their liquid, in a pot and simmer with the ketchup, molasses, vinegar, mustard, Tabasco, pepper and bacon as directed in Step 4. Serve as above.
Private Notes
Comments
I used the short-cut method to make these beans. I used 2 cans instead of 3 of the beans, but the same amount of ingredients for the sauce--it came out very well. We enjoyed eating them accompanying Brats with saurkraut and a side of carrot salad. It was most satisfying.
A similar recipe has been in my family for at least 3 generations. We sauté the onions before adding. Add Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar as well as the other ingredients, but no Tabasco. Bacon is optional. Very easy cheater recipe for baked beans. Easier with canned kidney and canned pea beans, or any canned beans to your liking.o
I used pinto beans. It was good! Had it with hot dogs for July 4th.
Slam dunk easy and pretty darned tasty dish. Made per recipe but did not include bacon in the simmering of the beans (step 4) but did include it at finishing (step 5).
Beans were hard as rocks ! Any thoughts?
Rodney - You share your beans were "hard as rocks" and ask for thoughts. I cook beans from dry all the time and here are mine. If you followed Step 1 to soak the beans then step 2 and and cooked them1 - 2 hrs and they were still hard, it's possible you were starting with very old beans. Try Zursun or Rancho Gordo or Primary Beans or similar good vendors for fresher beans. You must be disappointed in outcome. I hope you'll try again!
Made this with canned white beans. It was easy and very tasty. I skipped the bacon but it would be better with it!!