Jan. 9, 2019
video by Stephen Dafoe
Baked beans are a favourite in our house. This particular recipe calls for more coating than I have used in the past and plays on a bourbon barbecue sauce I am fond of.
Watch the video above for ingredients and how to.
Ingredients
2 cups navy beans
1 package bacon
1 or two onions
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup brown sugar
6 tbsp molasses
2 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce
3 dashes liquid smoke
1/2 tsp dry mustard
salt and pepper to your tastes
How To
Soak The Beans: It is important to soak your beans overnight. Not only does soaking the beans help cook them faster, but it also breaks down some of the indigestible sugars that generate the gas associated with eating beans.
Cook the beans: Once the beans are soaked, bring them to a boil in the water they soaked in. You can add more to cover. Once they are boiling, reduce heat and simmer the beans for about two hours until they are tender.
Layering the beans:
Drain the beans but keep the water you cooked them in for later.
In your 2-quart casserole or cast iron dish, put a layer of beans, followed by a layer of finely-cut onion, and a layer of bacon pieces. Repeat the process – usually three or four layers deep.
Making the sauce
In this recipe, I sauteed some onions in four ounces of Kentucky Straight Bourbon. The process is the same as the Bourbon Barbecue Sauce we did last year.
The recipe I use makes use of 4 ounces (1/2 cup) of bourbon. I’ve used Makers Mark, John B. Stetson, and just good old Jim Bean, all of which can be purchased at Legendary Liquor in Morinville.
Bourbon is a great choice because it has a caramel smokiness to it that is perfect for barbecue sauce or baked beans.
Be careful to use a good bourbon – or whiskey. Never cook with anything you wouldn’t enjoy as a beverage.
Once the onions are sauteed, add the other coating ingredients and mix, bringing everything to a boil.
Coating the beans: When the coating is ready, pour evenly over the beans. You can use a cake spreader to make sure you get all the corners. Add some of the reserved cookign water to help cover the beans.
Baking the beans:
Bake the beans at 325F 162C for four hours.
Midway through, take the beans out of the over and add some of the reserved cooking water to make sure the beans do not dry out. You can also repeat this step in the final hour.
All that is left is to enjoy homemade Bourbon Baked Beans.
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