Thor's Baked Beans

Total Time: 2 hrs Preparation Time: 1 hr Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb great northern beans or 1 lb beans
• 1 gallon water
• 1 1/2 cups maple syrup, grade b
• 1/4 cup rice vinegar (or your favorite kind)
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 4 small shallots, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon aleppo pepper (optional heat factor) or 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish (optional heat factor)
• 1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
• 1 tablespoon cream sherry (optional- but very nice, i use the cheap stuff)
• 1/2 lb bacon, thick sliced, cut into 2 inch (or so)

Recipe

• 1 the night before, sort thru the beans and discard any yucky looking ones and the assorted pebbles & stuff. place the "good beans" in a 5-qt stockpot and add water to cover by 2 inches.
• 2 go to bed & forget about the beans getting pruney in their room-temp bath.
• 3 about 2.5 hours before you want the finished product, drain the beans. put them back in the pot from whence they came.
• 4 cover with water by 2 inches (yes, again) bring to a boil, then turn down heat and simmer for about an hour - maybe longer - until they are done to your liking (they really won't get any softer in the oven, so go for it).
• 5 when you are happy with the beans, drain them again and put them (or leave them) in the same pot.
• 6 turn oven to 325 f.
• 7 mix the remaining ingredients (except bacon) and add to the beans in the pot, stirring well.
• 8 pour into 8x8 2-qt baking dish.
• 9 cover the top with the bacon pieces.
• 10 bake for 60 min.