BARBECUE BAKED BEANS

By curly

Ingredients

• 1 pound small dried navy or pea beans, picked over and rinsed
• 4 ounces lean bacon strips
• 3 ;/4 cup bottled barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup dark molasses
• 1/4 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 2 Tbsps cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp spicy brown mustard
• 1 tsp salt

Preparation

Step 1

Combine beans and 7 cups water in large saucepan. Bring to boiling; cook 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and let soak 1 hour.

Bring undrained beans slowly to broiling over medium-low heat; this should take about 25 minutes. Drain, reserving 2 cups liquid.

Heat oven to 300 degrees. Cook bacon between pieces of paper toweling in microwave oven on high power to remove some of the fat, 3 to 4 minutes. Reserve.

Stir together beans, reserved cooking liquid, barbecue sauce, molasses, sugar, vinegar, mustard and salt in large bowl. Scrape into 2 ½-quart baking casserole or bean pot. Place bacon on top. Cover.

Bake in 300 degree oven 3 hours or until beans are tender. Add water if needed to keep beans just covered with water. Serve warm.