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Dad's Baked Beans

(recipe, Caprial Pence)

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Introduction

Whenever we have big parties at our house, the cry goes out for my dad's baked beans. It's gotten so that our friends expect them — if we're firing up the grill, Dad's beans had better be there!

Ingredients

1. 1 lb. dried pinto beans, rinsed
2. 1 cup dried black beans
3. 1 yellow onion, diced
4. 2 garlic cloves, chopped
5. 2 smoked ham hocks
6. 2 Tbsp. peeled, chopped fresh ginger
7. 1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, chopped
8. 1 tsp. dry mustard
9. 1 tsp. ground cumin
10. 1 cup brown sugar
11. ⅔ cup molasses
12. 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
13. Salt
14. Freshly ground black pepper

Steps

1. Place the pinto and black beans in a large stockpot and add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until the beans are tender, about 1½ hours.
2. Drain the beans and place them in a large bowl. Add the onion, garlic, ham hocks, ginger, chipotle pepper, dry mustard, cumin, brown sugar, molasses, and soy sauce, and mix well. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3. Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the beans in a Dutch oven or roasting pan, cover, and bake for 4 hours, or until thick and flavorful. Serve warm.