My mom always made these sticky-sweet baked beans for picnics and cookouts. I make them year-round with most any type of cooked dried beans, including navy, pinto, or great Northern. In the summer, though, fresh and tender butter beans are my favorite. When entertaining, I often give this homey dish an air of sophistication by baking and serving it in individual-size ramekins or custard dishes topped with slices of pork belly in place of the bacon.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　4 cups (about 1 pound) shelled fresh or frozen butter beans

　　Pinch of kosher salt

　　3 slices thick-cut bacon

　　1 onion, chopped

　　1/2 cup your favorite or West Tennessee Thick and Sticky BBQ Sauce (page 307)

　　1/2 cup ketchup

　　1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

　　1/4 cup loosely packed light brown sugar

　　1/4 cup molasses

　　2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

　　1 teaspoon sea salt

　　1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

　　Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

　　

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a 2-quart baking dish.

　　

Step 2

Rinse and drain the beans, discarding any blemished beans or bits of pod. Bring a pan of water to a boil and add the kosher salt. Add the beans and cook, stirring occasionally and skimming foam from the top as needed, for about 15 minutes. Drain, rinse, and drain again thoroughly.

　　

Step 3

While the beans are cooking, sauté the bacon in a large skillet over medium-high heat until just slightly cooked but not crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Remove from the pan, drain on a paper towel, and set aside.

　　

Step 4

Reduce the heat to medium and add the onion to the same skillet. Cook and stir for about 5 minutes, until soft and golden.

　　

Step 5

Combine the beans, onion, barbecue sauce, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, molasses, mustard, sea salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes in a bowl and stir to mix.

　　

Step 6

Spoon the bean mixture into the prepared dish and place the bacon strips on top. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until the bacon is crispy and the beans are bubbling around the edges. Remove from the oven and serve warm.

　　Reprinted with permission from Sara Foster's Southern Kitchen: Soulful, Traditional, Seasonal by Sara Foster. Copyright © 2011 by Sara Foster. Published by Random House. All Rights Reserved.Sara Foster is the owner of Foster's Market, the acclaimed gourmet take-out store/cafés in Durham and Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and the author of several cookbooks including The Foster's Market Cookbook, winner of the Best Cookbook Award from the Southeast Booksellers Association. She has appeared numerous times on Martha Stewart Living Television and NBC's Today show. She has also been featured in magazines such as More, House Beautiful, and Southern Living, and is featured regularly in Bon Appétit.