Baked Beans

Servings: 10 to 12

Ingredients:

• 1 pound navy or Great Northern beans
• 8 ounces slab-smoked bacon, cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 1 cup chopped onions
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 1/2 cups (packed) dark brown sugar
• 2 cups ketchup
• 6 tablespoons maple syrup
• 6 tablespoons dark molasses
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions:

1. Rinse and pick through the beans. Soak them overnight in a large pot of water.
2. 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.
3. Preheat the oven to 300ºF.
4. Place a 2-quart flameproof casserole or dutch oven over medium heat and sauté the bacon until it is slightly crisp and fat is rendered, 5 minutes. Add the onions and garlic, and cook until wilted, 5 to 10 minutes. 
5. Add the brown sugar and stir over medium-low heat until it has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Then, stir in the ketchup, syrup, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Add the drained beans and mix well.
6. Cover the casserole and transfer it to the oven. Bake, stirring occasionally (making sure you scrape the bottom of the casserole), for 2 1/2 hours. 
7. Add 3/4 cup of the reserved bean liquid, recover, and bake 30 minutes. Then, remove the cover and bake until the sauce is thick and syrupy, another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring once. Serve hot.