The Best Barbecue Beans
"For the absolute best barbecue beans, it's hard to beat the deep flavor of dried beans slowly cooked in sauce for many hours. [Photographs: Joshua Bousel] The time investment of using dried beans pays in this recipe, which produces some of the best barbecue beans you'll ever have—a slowly reduced sauce packs a deep and complex barbecue flavor while tender and creamy beans round it out. Why this recipe works: * Contrary to popular belief, soaking the beans in salt water prevents them from bursting and gives them an even creamier texture. * Bacon gives the beans their must-have smoky and meaty flavor. * Boiling the beans for an hour prior to adding any acidic liquids helps them cook a little faster. * Slowly cooking the beans in the oven lets them gently cook while the sauce slowly thickens and becomes more complex. Note: You can use a single type, or mixed variety of beans...."