Pot Beans

By bakers_delight85

From Aida Mollenkamp's Keys to the Kitchen
To soak beans, place beans in enough water to cover by 2 in. and let sit at room temperature for at least 2 hours, but not more than 24 hours.
Tips!
Anything put into the bean cooking liquid will flavor the final dish. The most classic would be a bay leaf, some onions studded with a few cloves, some garlic, and a few peppercorns, but try other spices, herbs, and aromatics like cinnamon, star anise, rosemary, thyme, carrots, or even dried chiles.

Ingredients

• Oil, bacon drippings, or lard
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, smashed
• A pinch of salt
• Dried beans, soaked

Preparation

Step 1

Heat a medium pot over medium heat and add enough oil, bacon drippings, or lard to coat the bottom of the pot. When the oil shimmers, add 1/2 diced onion and two smashed garlic cloves, season with a pinch of salt, and stir to coat in oil. Cook, stirring once or twice, until the onion is translucent and softened, about 5 minutes.
Add the beans and their soaking liquid and bring to a boil. When it boils, skim the surface of any impurities. Decrease the heat to low and let the beans just simmer, uncovered. Let them simmer until they are tender and easy to bite through, anywhere from 30 minutes to 1 1/2 hours, depending on your bean variety. At this point you can season with salt and add acidic ingredients like molasses, tomatoes, or vinegar.