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Spicy Maple Baked Beans

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  • ACTIVE: 45 MIN
  • TOTAL TIME: 3 HRS 30 MIN
  • SERVINGS: 8 to 10
  • •MAKE-AHEAD

Pittsburgh chef Kevin Sousa uses leftover franks from his Station Street Hot Dogs in the smoky, intense baked beans he serves at Union Pig & Chicken, a few blocks away. The dark porter ale adds a bitter kick that helps balance the sweetness of the beans.

Slideshow: Great Recipes for Baked Beans

  1. 1 cup ketchup
  2. 1 cup pure maple syrup
  3. 1 cup porter or other dark ale
  4. 1/2 cup molasses
  5. 1/2 cup Dijon mustard
  6. 1/2 cup powdered mustard
  7. 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
  8. 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
  9. 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
  10. 1 tablespoon chile powder
  11. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
  12. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  13. 1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
  14. 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
  15. Kosher salt
  16. 4 slices of bacon, finely chopped
  17. 1 onion, finely chopped
  18. Four 15-ounce cans navy beans, rinsed and drained
  19. 10 all-beef hot dogs, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise
  1. In a saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the salt, bacon, onion, beans and hot dogs. Bring the sauce to a boil, whisking to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to moderately low and simmer until reduced by one-third, about 20 minutes. Season with salt.
  2. Preheat the oven to 325°. In a large enameled cast-iron casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring, until the fat has rendered, 5 minutes. Add the onion and cook until softened, 8 minutes. Stir in the beans, hot dogs and sauce, cover partially and bake for 1 hour, until the beans are glazed. Season the beans with salt and serve.