All American Baked Beans
Submitted by glory on June 25, 2004 at 11:04 am

This is a reduced sugar version of one from those silver palate ladies. Honestly, I think the sugar could be reduced even further as it still has quite a bit. They are wonderful beans though and the best homemade recipe I have had. This is a New England Style closest to that of B&M.

1 lb. dried navy beans
8 oz. smoked bacon, cut into small bits
1 cup chopped onions
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 cup packed dark brown sugar
2 cups ketchup
1/3 cup maple syrup
1/3 cup dark molasses
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
(*you will be reserving 3/4 cup of the bean liquid after you cook them)

Rinse and pick through the beans. Soak overnight in a large pot of water.

Rinse the soaked beans well under cold water and place them in 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 cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 300*F.

Place a 2 quart flameproof casserole or a Dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the bacon until it is just about done and the fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until wilted, 5-10 minutes.

Add the brown sugar and stir over medium low heat until it has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Then stir in the ketchup, maple syrup, dark molasses, Worcestershire sauce. Add the drained beans and mix well.
Cover the casserole and transfer to oven. Bake stirring occasionally making sure you scrape the bottom of the casserole for 2 1/2 hours.

Add the 3/4 cup reserved bean liquid, recover, and bake 30 minutes. Then remove the cover and bake until the sauce is thick and syrupy, another 10-15 minutes, stirring once. Serve hot. 10-12 portions

Note: Since this recipe takes some time I often double it using two dutch ovens. I do measure separately into each oven as it is just easier and takes little additional effort. The beans freeze well so they can be put up for several occasions