Can’t make it to the cafe to try this week’s #SapBushSaturday special?  Here’s the recipe & a video so you can make it at home! (someday I have to figure out how to get YouTube to let me choose the cover image for the videos…this one is ridiculous!!)

There’s no way around it. Baked beans, done well, are an all-day and overnight

project. They can be cooked faster in a pressure cooker, but I am loath to trust

anything that promises to cook food at speeds faster than food naturally cooks.

Still, baked beans are an all-day treat for the senses. They fill your home with

warmth from the time you start them on the top of the stove until the time you pull

them from the oven and serve them to your family. In my estimation, the secret to

superlative baked beans lies in using plenty of ham hocks. They impart incredible

flavor and make for heartier fare. Always be sure to soak your beans in water, with

a little yogurt added overnight before you begin cooking them. This helps neutralize

the phytic acid, making them easier to digest.

ON A BUDGET

SERVES 6

1 pound navy beans, soaked overnight

2 tablespoons plain yogurt or whey (optional)

3 quarts water

1 medium onion, cut into thick wedges

1/2 cup molasses

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon powdered mustard

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground allspice

2 to 3 pounds smoked ham hock or salt pork

Honey mustard

Rinse beans, pour them into a bowl or pot, and cover with warm water. Add

yogurt or whey, and mix lightly. Cover, and soak overnight. The next day,

pour off the water, rinse the beans thoroughly, and place them in a large,

ovenproof pot or Dutch oven (if cast iron, make sure it is coated). Pour in

2 quarts of the water, bring to a boil, and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.

Drain the beans once more. Return them to the large pot, and add the

remaining 1 quart water with the rest of the ingredients except for the honey

mustard. Bring to a boil; simmer, uncovered, over low heat for 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 300.F.

Cover the beans, and roast in the oven. When the beans are tender, usually

after 3 hours, remove the lid, and continue baking until the liquid is mostly

evaporated and the beans are soft, generally an additional 2 hours.