Recipes : Maple Baked Beans : Food Network

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Maple Baked Beans
2006, Barefoot Contessa at Home, All Rights Reserved

Ingredients
1 pound dry red kidney beans
2 quarts water
1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
3/4 cup medium amber pure maple syrup
1/2 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon Chinese chili paste
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon kosher salt

5 ounces thick-cut smoked bacon, cubed

Directions
Place the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold
water by 1-inch and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight. Drain and
rinse the beans and then drain again.

Place the beans in large pot with 2 quarts water, the onion, bay leaf, and
peppercorns. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for about 50 minutes,
or until tender. A good test is to scoop up several beans in a spoon and blow on
them: if the skin starts to peel off, they're done. Drain the beans, reserving the
cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 225 degrees F.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the maple syrup, brown sugar, ketchup, chili
paste, ginger, salt, and 1 1/2 cups of the cooking liquid, still reserving the
remaining liquid. Bring to a simmer and cook over medium heat for 6 minutes.

Transfer the beans to a medium Dutch oven or a bean pot. Push half the bacon into
the beans and place the rest on the top. Pour the maple syrup sauce over the
beans. Place the lid on top and bake for 6 to 8 hours. Check occasionally; if the
beans are too dry, add 1/2 cup more of the cooking liquid. If you like, you can
remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to thicken the sauce. Discard the bay leaf.
Serve hot.