Ingredients
1/2 pound dried cranberry beans
1/2 pound dried pinto beans
1/4 pound dried navy beans
1/4 pound dried northern beans
4 medium carrots, cut into 1-inch lengths
4 medium stalks celery, cut into 1-inch lengths
2 small onions, halved
4 dried bay leaves
8 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
4 teaspoons coarse salt
5 ounces bacon, diced
1 1/2 ounces guanciale (cured pork jowl), diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1 3/4 cups ketchup
1 1/2 cups bean-cooking liquid
1/2 cup dark-brown sugar
2 1/2 tablespoons Magic Dust
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar (with chili pepper)
1 tablespoon molasses
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon Texas Pete’s Hot Sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
Preparation
Cook the beans: place each of the beans in a medium bowl. Add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Soak, refrigerated, overnight. Drain, and transfer each bean to a separated pot.
To each pot, add enough water to cover beans by 2 inches. To each pot add, 1 carrot, 1 stalk celery, 1/2 onion, 1 bay leaf, and 2 sprigs parsley. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook until tender, 1 to 2 hours, depending on the bean. Ten minutes before the beans are done, season each pot with 1 teaspoon of salt. Drain, reserving a total of 1 1/2 cups liquid. Discard vegetables and herbs. At this point the beans may be combined.
Finish the baked beans: In a large stockpot over medium heat, combine the bacon and the guanciale. Cook, until the fat is rendered and the bacon is crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and peppers, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion becomes translucent, about 5 minutes more.
Add the ketchup, bean-cooking liquid, sugar, Magic Dust, vinegar, molasses, mustard, salt, hot sauce, Tabasco, and smoked paprika. Bring to a boil. Add beans, and return to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, and cook for 30 minutes. Taste and adjust for seasoning.
