I'm a bit on the fence about this recipe. Don't get me wrong, these beans were really good and everyone enjoyed them. I think my issue is just a matter of personal preference. My favorite baked beans growing up and to make to this day are brown sugar baked beans. Mine are mostly sweet with a little bit of tang from the addition of some mustard and garlic powder. I actually start mine by doctoring a pre-made can of baked beans. This was my first time making baked beans from scratch. These beans had molasses and brown sugar in them. Additionally, I used a brown sugar barbecue sauce. Despite those ingredients, these beans were still more savory than sweet. To me, the mustard was the most prominent flavor. It was fun learning to make my own beans from scratch and I would definitely use this recipe as a starting point. I think next time, however, I would add less mustard and increase the browned sugar. I probably would also make my own sweet barbecue sauce and add that instead of the prepared barbecue sauce. I think my homemade sauce has many of the ingredients I like in my baked beans and is sweeter than the store bought. Be prepared if you decide to make this recipe, the cooking time is approximately 4 hours and 45 minutes.
Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans
4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup Emeril's Kicked Up Bam-B-Q Barbecue Sauce or your favorite (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other whole-grain brown mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon red hot sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1. Preheat the oven to 300.
2. In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring until it is softened and lightly caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add the water and salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours, undisturbed.
3. Remove the pot from the oven, and stir the beans. Re-cover, the pot and continue to bake until the beans are tender, about 1 hour longer.
4. When the beans are tender, remove the cover from the pot and continue baking until the liquid has reduced to a thick, sauce like consistancy and the beans are thick and flavorful, 1-1/14 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the time sprigs. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve the beans either hot or warm. Makes 6 servings.
Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.
Emeril's Slow Cooked Bam-B-Q Baked Beans
4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 cup brewed coffee
1/2 cup Emeril's Kicked Up Bam-B-Q Barbecue Sauce or your favorite (I used Sweet Baby Ray's Hickory and Brown Sugar)
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other whole-grain brown mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon red hot sauce
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
1. Preheat the oven to 300.
2. In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4-6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring until it is softened and lightly caramelized, 3-4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add the water and salt, raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer to the oven and bake for 2 hours, undisturbed.
3. Remove the pot from the oven, and stir the beans. Re-cover, the pot and continue to bake until the beans are tender, about 1 hour longer.
4. When the beans are tender, remove the cover from the pot and continue baking until the liquid has reduced to a thick, sauce like consistancy and the beans are thick and flavorful, 1-1/14 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the time sprigs. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve the beans either hot or warm. Makes 6 servings.
Source: Emeril Lagasse, adapted from Emeril at the Grill, HarperStudio Publishers, New York, 2009.
1 comment:
looks like a great dish for cookouts!!
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