Maple Baked Beans

When I think of baked beans, I think of beans out of the can, maybe doctored up with some condiments. When I saw this recipe in the Barefoot Contessa's "At Home" cookbook, I was intrigued. Baked beans have never interested me much before, but after looking at the recipe and the picture that went along with it, I knew I had to try them.

They turned out to be delicious. And Alan loved them, which you might think was a given being all the good food that is made in my kitchen (yes, there are some disasters in my kitchen and I promise I will write more about those in the future). But Alan is somewhat picky, and just when I think I have made something out-of-this-world, Alan will snub it. This doesn't sit well with me, as you can imagine! With these baked beans, he was so enthusiastic, he ended up eating them three nights in a row. Usually, he "isn't into leftovers" (his words exactly...).

Beside the recipe in the "At Home" cookbook, there is a small picture of a pound of bacon with a knife. In the background is an empty package, presumably from the bacon, with Niman Ranch printed on it. For a few minutes, I thought this was the bacon that Zingerman's uses on all of their sandwiches, and I started to reminisce. I quickly did some research and realized I was thinking about "Nueske's Applewood Smoked Bacon".

When I did my short stint at Zingerman's Delicatessen in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I worked the early morning shift, starting at 6am. One of the first items on the "mise en place" every day was baking the applewood smoked bacon, for all of the sandwiches that have bacon on them (check out Zingerman's sandwich menu to see what I am talking about).
http://www.zingermansdeli.com/content/pages/menu.php)
It was impossible not to eat at least one piece of bacon every time I worked. Sometimes more. There was something so special and delicious about this bacon, it is worth the trip to Ann Arbor. Check it out at Nueske's website or from THE food mecca, Zingerman's...

www.nueskes.com
www.zingermans.com

If you need directions to the famous deli, just let me know and I'd love to be your personal navigator! Zingerman's serves applewood-smoked baked beans and it's too bad I didn't get that recipe during my time there. The next time I get my paws on some of Nueske's applewood-smoked bacon, I am going to make these maple baked beans and turn it into my own version of applewood-smoked baked beans. Until that time, I will just use the best bacon that I can find.

Maple Baked Beans

1 lb. dry red kidney beans
1 large yellow onion, cut in eighths
1 bay leaf
6 whole black peppercorns
3/4 c. pure maple syrup
1/2 c. ketchup
1 T. Chinese chili paste
1 T. grated fresh ginger
1 t. kosher salt
5 oz. thick-cut smoked bacon, cubed

1. Soak beans in a large bowl filled with lots of cold water. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight. Drain and rinse the beans and then drain again.
2. Place the beans in a large pot with 2 litres (8 cups) of water, the onion slices, 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 skins start to peel off, they're done. This really works! Drain the beans, reserving the cooking liquid.
3. Preheat the oven to 225 degrees. 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 5 minutes.
4. Transfer the beans to a large pot that will fit in your oven. Push half the bacon into the beans and place the rest on top. Pour the maple syrup sauce over the beans. Place the lid on top and bake for 6 to 8 hours. Check occasionally and if the beans are too dry, add 1/2 cup more of the cooking liquid. When the beans are done, remove the bay leaf. Serve hot.