Baked Beans + Cornbread

I have been wanting to make baked beans for a while now and when I saw a recipe for them in this month's Saveur magazine, I couldn't resist. This is a great cooking magazine and I highly recommend getting a subscription or checking it out at the library. I have never been disappointed with recipes I've made from here. Here is is:

New England-Style Baked Beans

Serves 6-8

1 lb dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed (I used Jacob's Cattle beans)
1 medium yellow onion, ends trimmed, peeled, and left whole
4 whole cloves
8 oz. slab bacon or salt pork, trimmed, and cut into 2" x 1/4" piecs
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp. maple syrup (I used brown sugar instead)
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tsp. dry mustard powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp dark rum (I omitted this)
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1.  Bring the beans and 10 cups of water to a boil in a 4-qt saucepan over high heat, and cook for 2 minutes.  Remove from the heat, cover the saucepan with a lid, and let the beans sit for 1 1/2 hours. (This "quick soak'' produces effects similar to those achieved by soaking the beans in water overnight.) Drain the beans in a colander, and discard the cooking liquid.

2. Heat oven to 250. Stud the onion with the cloves and place in a 4-qt Dutch oven along with the beans, bacon, maple syrup, molasses, dry mustard, and 3 cups boiling water; stir to combine.  Cover pot with a lid, and place in the oven; cook, lifting the lid and stirring occasionally for 3 hours. Stir in ketchup and vinegar. Cover with a lid again, and return to the oven; cook, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the liquid has reduced to a thick glaze, about 3 hours more.

3. Stir in rum; season with salt and pepper.

I also chose to do this in a crockpot rather than the oven. I kept the temperature on high until the last hour when I turned it to low. I was extremely satisfied with this hearty dish and will definitely make it again! I also made cornbread in a cast iron pan which was a great accompaniment to this dish. Here is the recipe:

Mother's Skillet Cornbread

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups stoneground white cornmeal
3 tsp flour
1 tsp salt
1 scant tsp baking soda
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs
3 tbsp bacon drippings

Preheat oven to 400. Sift all dry ingredients together. Add eggs to buttermilk, beat well and mix with dry ingredients.  Heat drippings in a skillet till very hot. Add 2 tbsp grease to cornbread mix and leave remaining in skillet. Bake 20 - 25 minutes.

This dinner was so good I completely forgot to take pictures so here is an image from Saveur!