Ranch Baked Beans

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot with lid (5-quart minimum)
• •Wooden spoon
• •Paper towels and plate for bacon

Instructions

1. 1

   Render the bacon

   Preheat your oven to 325°F. Scatter the bacon pieces in a large Dutch oven or oven-safe pot set over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp at the edges but still has some chew, about 12 minutes. The kitchen will smell like every good memory you have of summer cookouts. Transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate, leaving the drippings in the pot.

   Thick-cut bacon is essential here. Thin bacon crisps too quickly and disappears into the beans. You want substantial pieces that hold their own.
2. 2

   Build the aromatic base

   Add the diced onion to the bacon drippings and cook over medium heat until soft and beginning to turn golden at the edges, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and jalapeño, cooking just until fragrant, about 1 minute more. The onions should glisten with rendered fat, translucent and sweet.

3. 3

   Create the sauce

   Add the brown sugar, molasses, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce to the pot, stirring until the sugar dissolves into a glossy slurry. Pour in the tomato sauce and coffee, stirring to combine. The coffee adds depth without any coffee flavor. Trust me on this. Add the smoked paprika, black pepper, salt, and cayenne. Bring the mixture to a simmer.

4. 4

   Combine beans and bacon

   Fold in all the drained beans, stirring gently so you don't crush them. Add back the reserved bacon, saving a handful to scatter on top later. The beans should be just barely covered by sauce. If they seem dry, add a splash of water. If too loose, don't worry. The oven will concentrate everything.

5. 5

   Bake low and slow

   Cover the pot and transfer to the oven. Bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Remove the lid, scatter the reserved bacon over the top, and continue baking uncovered for another 45 minutes to 1 hour. The sauce will reduce and thicken, developing a beautiful lacquered appearance. The top will darken slightly at the edges.

   The beans are done when the sauce clings to them like a glaze rather than pooling at the bottom. They'll continue to thicken as they cool.
6. 6

   Rest and serve

   Remove from the oven and let the beans rest for 15 minutes before serving. This rest is important because it allows the sauce to set up properly. The beans should be tender, the sauce thick and clinging, the bacon on top slightly caramelized. Serve directly from the pot.

Chef Tips

• •The coffee is not optional. It adds a roasted depth that makes people ask what your secret ingredient is. Use whatever you have brewed, even yesterday's cold dregs work perfectly.
• •These beans taste better the second day. The flavors meld and deepen overnight. Make them the day before your event, refrigerate, and reheat covered at 325°F for 45 minutes.
• •For a smokier version, add a tablespoon of chipotles in adobo, minced, along with the jalapeño. The heat builds slowly, so taste before adding more.
• •If transporting to a potluck, wrap the covered pot in newspaper and then a heavy towel. This insulates remarkably well and keeps beans at serving temperature for two hours.

Advance Preparation

• •Beans can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated. The flavor improves considerably overnight as the spices meld with the sauce.
• •Reheat covered at 325°F for 45 minutes, adding a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.
• •Leftovers keep refrigerated for up to 5 days and freeze well for up to 3 months.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 331g)