Recipe: Horn and Hardart Baked Beans (using molasses and tomato juice)

HORN AND HARDART BAKED BEANS

1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed
1 large yellow onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
4 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
2/3 cup molasses
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups tomato juice
Salt to taste

Place the dry beans in a large saucepot and cover with cold water. Let stand overnight at room temperature.

Drain beans, place in an 8-quart saucepot, add fresh water to cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, uncovered, until the beans are almost tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Drain beans, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid.

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.

Return the beans with the remaining ingredients and the 1 cup reserved cooking liquid to the pot; mix to combine. Pour into a 9x13x2-inch baking pan or a Dutch oven.

Bake, uncovered, until very tender, approximately 4 hours. Check the beans occasionally while baking and add water if necessary to prevent the mixture from drying out. Season with salt and let cool 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 8-10 servings
Source: The Automat by Lorraine B. Diehl and Marianne Hardart