This recipe combines the rich flavor of smoked bacon and salted smoked pork to create particularly savory beans in bacon. Diced tomatoes add depth to the sauce while maple syrup perfectly balances the smoky and salty side. A generous recipe that recalls the best beans in bacon served at sugar shacks.
Ingredients
- cups of dried white beans
- cups of water for soaking
- smoked bacon cut into pieces
- smoked salted pork fat cut into 1 cm cubes
- large chopped onion
- 796 ml can of diced tomatoes
- maple syrup
- molasses
- dry mustard
- teaspoon of smoked paprika
- black pepper
- cups of hot water
Instructions
- Rinse the beans and soak them in water for 12 hours or overnight.
- Drain the beans, cover with fresh water, and bring to a boil for 30 minutes. Drain again.
- Preheat oven to 275 °F.
- In a pan, cook the smoked bacon and salted smoked pork until 5 minutes to melt some of the fat.
- In a large pot, place the beans, bacon, salted pork, and onion.
- Add diced tomatoes with their juice, maple syrup, molasses, dry mustard, smoked paprika, and pepper.
- Pour in hot water and mix gently. The liquid should just cover the beans.
- Cover and bake for 4 hours.
- Check the liquid level every hour and add a little hot water as needed.
- Remove the lid for the last hour to an hour and a half to get a thicker, more concentrated sauce.
- Taste before serving. Add salt only if necessary, as the salted pork already provides plenty of seasoning.
- Let it rest for 15 minutes before serving.
- Note: Smoked salted bacon can replace part of the salt in this recipe for a more authentic flavor. For an even more authentic taste, place some slices of smoked salted bacon on top of the beans before cooking. This recipe is better reheated the next day when the flavors have had time to develop further.
