Bourbon picks up a sweet smokiness from the charred-oak barrels in which, by law, it is aged, so you might say bourbon was made to be paired with bacon. The beans and bacon are first parboiled to soften them somewhat, and then all the ingredients are dumped into the slow cooker and allowed to steam in a subtle and sweet bourbon-molasses sauce. While you can bake the beans in a very low oven, the combination of the slow cooker and beans, like bourbon and bacon, is a match made in food heaven. 2 whole cloves 1 small onion, cut in half 8 to 10 ounces slab bacon, rind removed (see page 57) 1½ cups dried cannellini beans, rinsed, drained, and picked over ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper Pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 medium-size onion, diced 1¼ cups Jim Beam bourbon or your bourbon of choice 2 teaspoons molasses 1 Stud the side of each onion half with 1 whole clove. Place the onion halves and the bacon and beans in a large saucepan. Add water to cover the beans by about 2 inches.
What do You think about Bacon Nation: 125 Irresistible Recipes?
