Summer is BBQ time!

  

Homemade Baked Beans

This is definitely not your mom's baked beans. Although not a quick and easy recipe, it is so worth the time and effort. The complexity of taste developed in the cooking process makes it worth the wait!

Ingredients:

2 Cups Dried Great Northern Beans

1 Cup Diced Pancetta

1 Medium Yellow Onion Diced

3 Garlic Cloves Minced

2 Sweet Banana Peppers Diced

1 Serrano Pepper seeds and ribs removed and finely diced

1/3 Cup Brown Sugar

1/2 Tsp Red Pepper Flakes

1 Tsp Cumin

1 Tsp Dry Mustard

1 Tsp Spanish Hot Paprika

2 Tsp Spanish Smoked Paprika

3 Tbspn Chili Powder

1 Tbspn Dried Onion

1 Tbspn Salt

1 Tbspn Black Pepper

3 Tbspn Vegetable Oil

1 Cup Stewed Tomatoes

1/3 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/3 Cup Ketchup

1 Cup Chicken Stock

1 Cup Water

 

Directions:

Heat vegetable oil over medium high flame and then add Diced Pancetta until edges start to crisp.  Add diced onion, diced Banana Peppers and Seranno Peppers. Cook until vegetables start to sweat. Add minced garlic and cook for an additional minute. Add beans and stir well to coat.  Let cook, stirring frequently, for two to three minutes. Add ketchup, stir to coat and let cook for one minute. Add Balsamic Vinegar, stir and let cook for 1 minute. Add stewed tomatoes, stir and cook for two minutes. Add all spices and dried onion and stir to incorporate thoroughly. Cook for one minute stirring frequently. Add Chicken Stock and water. Stir to incorporate and allow it to come to a boil. Cook at a rolling boil for two minutes, stirring frequently.  

Reduce heat to a simmer and cover pan. Allow the beans to cook at a simmer for two hours. After two hours, taste beans and adjust seasonings, if necessary. Beans should be tender, but slightly al dente. (If not, allow to simmer longer.) Uncover pot and increase heat to bring mixture to a rolling boil.  Stir every 10 minutes or so and allow the mixture to contine to boil until liquid has reduced and thickened to the consistency of a syrup. As the liquid becomes more reduced you will need to stir more frequently. This reduction phase should take approximately thirty minutes. Transfer beans to a 

Casserole and bake uncovered at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. 

Serves 8 to 10 people.