2 lb (4 cups) dried pea or navy
Beans, soaked and drained
1/3 c Blackstrap molasses
1 tb Dry mustard
Salt and freshly ground
Black pepper
2 lb Italian sweet sausage
1/2 lb Chunk salt pork
2 Cloves garlic, finely
Minced
1 Onion, finely chopped
1/2 lb Sliced bacon
Set soaked beans in saucepot and cover with water (4 quarts). Bring
water to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered for 1 hour
or until the beans are just tender, but not mushy. Drain, reserving
cooking liquid. Mix precooked beans with molasses and mustard and
season lightly with salt and pepper. While beans are cooking, parboil
sausages and salt pork for 10 minutes. Drain. Dice the salt pork into
small cubes and slice the sausages. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
In a shallow gratin or baking dish layer 1/3 of the beans. Top the
beans with half of minced garlic, onion, diced salt pork and sliced
sausages; season with salt and pepper. Repeat with a layer of beans,
remaining salt pork, sausages, onions and garlic and finish with
layer of beans. Add about 1 cup of reserved bean cooking liquid to
the baking pan, cover the top with strips of bacon and bake for 1 1/2
to 2 hours or until the liquid is almost entirely absorbed. (Add more
liquid if it evaporates too quickly.) Serve with corn bread.
Yield: 12 servings
COOKING MONDAY TO FRIDAY SHOW # MF6759
Yields
4 servings