SuperBroth Baked Beans

Ingredients

  • 1 lb (455g) dried beans, picked over and rinsed
  • 8 1/2 cups (2L) water
  • 3 tbsp (36g) Diamond Crystal kosher salt (or ~1 1/2 tbsp table salt by volume, or same weight)
  • 1 3/4 tsp (10g) baking soda
  • 12 oz bacon, diced
  • 1 medium yellow onion, diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
  • 1 celery stalk, finely diced (about 1/2 cup)
  • 1 large carrot (or 2 small), finely diced (about 3/4 cup)
  • 4–6 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp tomato paste
  • 1 1/2 tsp chili powder (adjust to taste)
  • 1/4 tsp powdered ghost pepper (or less, to taste)
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 3–4 cups SuperBroth (reduced stock)
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2–3 tbsp apple cider vinegar (added at end)
  • Salt to taste (added at end)

Instructions

  1. Soak the beans
    In a large container, combine water, salt, and baking soda. Add beans and soak overnight. Drain and rinse before cooking.
  2. Cook the bacon
    In a Dutch oven over medium heat, cook diced bacon until browned and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving the fat in the pot.
  3. Build the base
    Add onion, celery, and carrot to the bacon fat. Cook over medium heat until softened and just beginning to brown, about 8–10 minutes.
  4. Add aromatics, tomato paste, and spices
    Stir in garlic, tomato paste, chili powder, ghost pepper, cumin, and black pepper. Cook for 1–2 minutes, allowing the tomato paste to darken slightly and the spices to bloom.
  5. Deglaze
    Add about 1/2 cup SuperBroth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
  6. Simmer
    Add drained beans, cooked bacon, remaining SuperBroth (enough to cover beans by about 1 inch), and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle simmer.
  7. Cook until tender
    Simmer uncovered or partially covered over low heat, stirring occasionally, until beans are tender and the liquid has thickened to a creamy consistency, about 1.5–3 hours depending on bean type.
  8. Finish and adjust
    Once beans are fully tender, stir in apple cider vinegar. Taste and adjust with salt as needed. If desired, mash a small portion of the beans to further thicken the sauce.

Serve warm.