These baked beans are not pork’n’beans, that’s for sure. Though they may bear a similarity to BBQ beans, their flavor profile is brighter, more complex, and not smoky. As far from ordinary and bland as you can imagine, they’re beans to get excited about. They’re so powerfully tasty, they’ll pop your eyebrows up an inch, out of pure enthusiasm.
3 cups dried pinto beans
1 can (24 oz.) plum tomatoes
2 Tbs bacon fat
4 cups chopped onions (from two large-ish onions)
2 tsp salt, plus more to taste
2 Tbs chili powder
3 tsp dried mustard
2 tsp cumin
8 medium cloves of garlic, minced
6 Tbs dry white wine
6 Tbs cider vinegar
3 Tbs molasses
2 cups (9 oz.) mild grated cheese, such as Colby-Jack
Black pepper, to taste (lots)
Crushed red pepper, to taste
2 medium tart apples, peeled and diced
- Place the beans in a casserole and cover them with 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the beans are fully tender, about 2 hours. Meanwhile, remove the tomatoes from the can with a slotted spoon. Dice them. Set them aside and reserve the liquid in the can.
Some people soak their beans. Many others – including me – consider this to be not enough of a time-saver to be worth it.
- Strain the beans. Reserve the liquid for another use.
The bean liquid is good for use in many kinds of soups, stews, and braises. It’d also useful if you decide to refry some of these beans – which is a great idea; they’re fantastic in a tortilla.
- Return the casserole to the stove and heat the bacon fat in it, over medium heat. Add the onions. As they begin to fry, add the salt and spices. Cook until the onions are very soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 5 more minutes. Correct seasoning.
It’s important to highly season the onions, since this flavoring is going to season the whole dish. You can correct the seasoning once the dish is fully assembled and ready to bake, but it’s more difficult.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Add the beans and all remaining ingredients except the liquid from the tomato can. Stir the mixture well. Pour the liquid from the tomato can over the top of the mixture. Cover the pot and bake for 1 hour. Remove the lid and continue to bake for 15 more minutes.
- Let the beans rest for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes:
This is my take on a Molly Katzen recipe[1]. I’ve modified it to boost the flavor saturation, and I devegetarianized it (sorry, or you’re welcome, depending).
These beans are as good or better leftover as they are fresh. They also freeze perfectly.
I strongly suggest that you consider refrying half of the batch. These beans are so flavorful, that they’re flat-out fantastic wrapped in a tortilla. You can add condiments, (cheese, salsa, taco sauce, whatever) but you won’t feel that you need to. Refrying them is easy: put them in a skillet and cook, as you use a wooden spoon to mash them against the side and/or bottom of the pan. As you do this, if they become too thick, periodically add some of the bean liquid (or chicken stock, or water).
[1] Katzen, Mollie. 1992. “Tart and Tangy Baked Beans.” The Moosewood Cookbook (Ten Speed Press) 134.
Eyebrow-Raising Baked Beans
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I understand totally the term “Eyebrow- raising”, because I am pretty sure that was an automatic reflex when I read the ingredients.
This is one of the recipes I will bookmark to try later.
anne recently posted…Food, Not So Glorious Food
Thank you, Anne!
Okay, my eyebrows are raised, but doesn’t chili powder sort of make these BBQ’s baked beans? Not that I care what you call them. The apples are interesting. I’ll have to pull out my old paperback Mollie Katzen cookbooks!
I hadn’t thought about that, Mimi. Maybe these are a type of BBQ beans. Their flavor seems different from what I’d expect of BBQ; that’s what I was getting at. They’re bright and complex, and not at all smoky.
Thumbs up for you making baked beans from scratch! I love beans, but sadly they don’t love me. LOL It looks very comforting, flavourful and yummy.
angiesrecipes recently posted…Baked Butternut Squash Rounds with Szechuan Pepper
Thanks, Angie! I’m sorry that beans don’t love you. Their loss, I’m sure! 🙂
I cook up batches of beans (usually navy) and freeze them for easy, quick meals. I was under the impression that soaking the bean not only rehydrates them but also removes some of the chemical that makes them gassy to digest, but maybe I’m wrong. The frozen cooked beans would be hugely time saving in this recipe, they are just like canned beans without the excessive salt!
Eva Taylor recently posted…Hummingbird Cake
That’s a great idea, Eva. I’ve never heard of freezing beans before. Thanks for that!
Regarding the soaking, I think you’re right on about that. Soaking, however, takes a long time. You can rehydrate the beans by cooking them, and while that increases the cooking time, it decreases the amount of overall time. Longer cooking time has an added benefit. Harold McGee, a food science writer, claims prolonged cooking can break down the substance in beans that causes gas, without tossing any of the flavor out with the soaking water. I used to soak beans and toss the water, but I tried this alternative and have gotten great results.
I love all the flavor-boosting ingredients in these beans. What a great recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you!
nunca había visto el bacon cocinado de esta manera, que delicia, me la anoto para probarla
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Oh man, forget eyebrow raising…these beans are making me stand up and do a jig. You should’ve called them jig-inducing baked beans. I can’t stop thinking about a tortilla filled with a batch of these beans.
David @ Spiced recently posted…Ribollita (Tuscan White Bean Stew)
Oh, so good in the tortilla. I’ll jig with you. This is what I’m imagining.
It makes my mouth water!
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Thank you, Dennis!
Like Eva, I’ll often freeze cooked beans in their liquid. And I go back and forth on soaking/nonsoaking. At the moment I don’t soak, but who knows what tomorrow will bring? 🙂 Anyway, neat recipe — and a rather unusual set of ingredients. I like!
John / Kitchen Riffs recently posted…Caramelized Onion, White Bean, and Tomato Soup
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Apples and cheese sounds interesting indeed. I still have canned tiger beans, maybe that works, too…
iris Flavia recently posted…Vote, If Masked (Don´t Sing)
Probably!
Yes, I understand why you call these beans eyebrow-raising. The ingredients are quite interesting. I’m eager to try it except you know I have to take out the bacon fat! Would a vegetarian adaptation work?
Judee recently posted…Greek Lemon Soup
A vegetarian adaption would definitely work! After all, I modeled them after a vegetarian recipe! You’ll mainly just have to substitute something else for the bacon fat.
Fantastic! I consider my eyebrows challenged. These sound really good, and I am very much into beans these days. (Never was before – not sure why!)
🙂
Ah, bacon fat. That’s where you de-veggied this beautiful bowl of beans. That makes perfect sense. GREG
Yup, guilty.
lots of good flavours here jeff. and so good for the digestive tract:-)
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Ok, my eyebrow is definitely raised – apples and cheese in a bean recipe? Now that’s my kind of twist on a classic! I love all of the flavors and spices here, from the bacon fat on up. And the idea of refrying half? A brilliant leftover! this is definitely a keeper – can’t wait to try!
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Baked beans are my fav for breakfast when I have time, like on Sundays. It’s been a while since I made some, thanks for this great recipe!
Not parisienne recently posted…Comté aux noix
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My eyebrows are already raised! YUM! 🙂 ~Valentina
Thanks, Valentina!
The flavors sound really nice, Jeff. I’m going to have to give this a go soon. I was curious about the apples. First time I’ve seen them in a beans recipe. What do you reckon they bring to the dish?
Frank recently posted…Chicken Francese
First off, they melt into the dish. It’s not as though you’ll come across pieces of them – or if you do, they certainly don’t register as such. And so there’s no discenrable apple presence or flavor. The tartness of the vinegar and the apple brighten up the beans, that’s my feeling. You could do this with vinegar alone, but the apple let’s you do so without adding too much of the vingar’s flavor. That’s of course the opinion of an enthusiast who doesn’t know all that much about how such things truly work. If you make the beans, I’d be interested in your take on it.
My eyebrows are definitely raised reading the recipe. Well you certainly elevated those baked beans. The only downside is that I have to wait til it’s done baking to dig in!
Yes, it does take a while!
You know I’ve never yet attempted to make baked beans from scratch yet Jeff. I really should. Your recipe is amazing. My favourite way to enjoy baked beans is on toast.
Neil recently posted…5-Ingredient No Bake Chocolate Brownies
These beans would be great on toast!
Jeff, I’ve eaten my share of baked beans and I love them refired and in a flour tortilla with a bit of cheese. But, if I’m understanding your recipe, you add the cheese to the baked beans. I’m I correct? Even if I’m not I’m thinking adding cheese to baked beans is a wonderful idea. Now, about the apple addition, never tried it and but will soon.
Also on freezing beans, we always have a few containers of beans in the freezer. Thanks for a very interesting twist of you baked or BBQ’d beans…
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You’re welcome. And yes, the cheese bakes into the beans. It gets fully incorporated, and the beans don’t come out cheesy.
Apples and beans, that is unusual…well, maybe the apple. Cheese on or in a dish of beans, not so much. I’m sure I would enjoy your take on this dish Jeff.
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There is no temperature to bake them at. Even went through the reviews and nobody caught this?
Thanks for pointing that out! It’s 350F.