For The Beans
- 1 tbsp molasses
- 1/2 lb Jacob's cattle beans, navy beans, or soldier beans (about 4 cup)
- 11/2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 large onion, diced (1/2 cup)
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 oz smoked slab bacon, cut into large chunks (1 heaping cup)
TO COOK THE BEANS: Sort the beans - with dried beans, especially the locally grown small-farm variety, you’re likely to find stones in the mix, and we’re not making stone soup here
Soak the beans in a large bowl or pot on the counter- top, uncovered, for at least 12 hours. You should have enough water to cover the beans, with another 3 to 4 inches of water above them (so they don’t soak up all the water and dry out).
Preheat the oven to 250°F. Heat the bacon and butter slowly in a large oven-proof pot over medium-low heat for about 4 minutes, until you’ve got enough rendered fat in the pot to coat the onions. Watch the heat- you don’t want the bacon to dry out.
Add the onions, salt, and pepper to the pot, mix every- thing together well, and cook for about 3 minutes, until the onions are tender, stirring regularly to keep them from sticking or coloring.
Add the dry mustard and stir everything together so the mustard blooms a little in the fat-you should smell it if you lean over the pot. Add the brown sugar and mix everything together well. Keep stirring the mixture for a minute or two to break down the sugar crystals, so there aren’t any lumps of sugar left.
Stir in the molasses (make sure you get it all out of the measuring spoon).
Drain the beans well and add them to the pot. Stir everything well, reaching the spoon down to the bottom of the pot and stirring up so that the beans are coated in the sugar-molasses-bacon-fat mix. Add enough water to cover the beans, but as Mom says, "Don’t drown them!" You’ll need about 2 1/2 cups of water. Turn the heat up to high and bring the mixture up to a simmer.
Pull the pot off the stove, cover it with a tight-fitting lid, and put it on the middle oven rack. Bake the beans for about 2 hours. The beans shouldn’t be boiling when they’re in the oven: the top will foam up a bit, but there shouldn’t be any action. If there is, turn your oven heat down.
Check to make sure there’s enough liquid in the pot. If the beans are floating up to the top and cracking, pour in 1/4 cup of water or so. Let the beans cook for another 3 hours (about 5 hours total baking time). They’re done when the liquid’s all gone and the beans are coated and shiny and brown.
For The Saltine Crust (Optional)
- 3 tbsp cold unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2 tsp light brown sugar
- 1/4 tsp garlic powder
- 1 sleeve saltine crackers
TO MAKE THE SALTINE CRUST (OPTIONAL): While the beans are baking, grind up the crackers, garlic powder, brown sugar, salt, and thyme leaves in a food processor fitted with the metal blade for about 30 seconds, until the crackers are reduced to fine crumbs.
Add the butter and process for another 20 to 30 seconds or so, until the butter is completely integrated into the mix and you’ve got a fine powder.
Scrape the crust into a bowl and hold it in the fridge till the beans are ready.
To Finish The Dish
- 2 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
TO FINISH THE BEANS: Pull the pot out of the oven. If you’re making a crust, turn on the broiler.
Mix the sherry vinegar and Dijon mustard into the pot.
If you’ve made a crust, sprinkle it over the beans and put the pot under the broiler. Broil the beans for about 5 minutes, until the crust crisps up and turns golden brown.
Serve the beans right away.
Recipe courtesy of American Flavor by Andrew Carmellini/Ecco, 2011.
