Lunch: Grandma Kirk's Baked Beans

Ingredients

2 pounds dried navy beans, soaked overnight in cold water and drained
1 onion, coarsely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3/4 cup light molasses or sorghum syrup
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 pound slab bacon in one piece
Burnt Ends (optional; see Barbecued Brisket)

Instructions

Put the beans in a large enameled cast-iron casserole and add enough water to cover by 1/2 inch. Bring to a simmer and cook until the skins on the beans curl up when you blow on them, about 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 300°. Stir the onion, garlic, molasses, brown sugar, soy sauce, salt, Worcestershire and mustard into the beans, then nestle in the bacon. Cover and bake for 3 hours, until the beans are tender, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed to cover the beans by 1/2 inch.
Stir in the Burnt Ends (if using), then bake the beans uncovered about 1 1/2 hours longer, until richly browned on top. Remove the bacon piece, chop into cubes and return to the beans before serving.

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