By The Singh-family Father’s-Day gathering was Saturday June 17 at the Singh-Patel home in Sapulpa. Twelve guests plus the family (about fifteen total). Brayden is eighty-eight weeks old. The dessert table I had built (the cardamom-pistachio shortbread plus the new cardamom-rosewater-pistachio brittle) was successful. The brittle was the surprise hit of the table.
The smoked baked beans are a cafe-menu-test recipe. Mama and Cody are evaluating whether to add a small smoked-bean side to the cafe’s summer menu (alongside the existing canned-baked-beans that have been on the menu for years). The from-scratch smoked version is dried navy beans soaked overnight, simmered with smoked-bacon and a small ham hock for the first cook, finished with a sweet-and-tangy tomato-brown-sugar-vinegar sauce, baked low and slow at three-fifty for two hours.
The technique question on smoked baked beans is the bean-cooking-stage and the sauce-coating. The beans need to be fully tender from the first simmer (about ninety minutes) before the sauce goes on, because the sauce’s acid will halt the bean’s softening. The sauce-coating during the bake develops the candied-sweet caramelization that distinguishes the dish from a stewed-bean.
Sunday I made a test batch at the apartment. Dustin had two large helpings. Brayden had a small portion of the plain cooked beans (no sauce, no smoke). The recipe is going to the cafe Wednesday for Mama’s production-evaluation.
Smoked Baked Beans
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours 30 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 50 minutes | Servings: 10
Ingredients
- 3 cans (15 oz each) navy beans, drained and rinsed
- 8 oz smoked bacon, chopped
- 1 medium yellow onion, diced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup tomato sauce
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
- 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
Instructions
- Preheat. Heat oven to 325°F.
- Render the bacon. In a large Dutch oven over medium heat, cook chopped bacon until crispy, about 6–8 minutes. Transfer bacon to a paper-towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.
- Build the base. Add diced onion to the drippings and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more.
- Make the sauce. Stir in tomato sauce, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, salt, and pepper. Mix until fully combined.
- Add beans and broth. Fold in the drained navy beans and pour in the chicken broth. Stir gently to coat the beans in the sauce. Return the crispy bacon to the pot.
- Bring to a simmer. Over medium-high heat, bring the mixture to a gentle simmer, then remove from heat.
- Bake low and slow. Cover the Dutch oven with its lid and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 2 hours, checking at the halfway point. If the beans look dry, add 1/4 cup water and stir gently.
- Finish uncovered. Remove the lid for the final 20–30 minutes to thicken the sauce and deepen the smoky flavor. Beans are done when the sauce is thick, glossy, and just barely bubbling.
- Rest and serve. Let sit 10 minutes before serving. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt if needed. Serve hot alongside Christmas ham.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 265 | Protein: 13g | Fat: 7g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 8g | Sodium: 510mg