Chez Goo Goo Restaurant Brooklyn Baked Beans

Source: Chez Goo Goo Restaurant, Brooklyn, New York

1 1/2 pounds dried navy beans, rinsed and
    soaked overnight in water to cover
1 pound smoked bacon, coarsely chopped
2 large onions, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon ground pepper
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 cup ketchup
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon Tabasco
1 cup orange juice, divided
1 cup pineapple juice, divided
1 cup black coffee, divided
2 cups chicken stock, divided

Rinse soaked beans and place in large pan with enough fresh water to cover. Cook, covered, over medium heat for one hour or until tender. While beans cook continue with the next two steps. When beans are done, drain and discard cooking liquid.

Saute bacon in a skillet until lightly browned, remove and set aside, then lightly saute the chopped onions in the remaining bacon fat until translucent. Remove onions and set aside.

In a saucepan, combine maple syrup, molasses, pepper, mustard, ketchup, tomato paste, brown sugar, Tabasco, 1/2 cup of the orange juice, 1/2 cup of the pineapple juice, 1/2 cup of the coffee and 1 cup of the stock. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Heat oven to 300 degrees F.

Combine remaining juices, coffee and stock; set aside.

Combine beans, sauce, onions and bacon in an ovenproof baking dish or bean pot. Cover tightly with foil or lid and bake 6 to 8 hours, checking from time to time and stirring in some of the additional liquid mixture as needed. Taste for seasoning near the end of the cooking time and add salt if needed. If the mixture has not cooked down enough, remove lid or foil about 1 hour before end of cooking time. (The bacon will have seasoned the beans with salt to some extent.)

Makes 8 to 10 servings.