Slow-Cooker Barbecued Beans Recipe

Ingredients

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• Just about every barbecue joint we have ever been to serves some form of baked beans. Each is a little different--according to the pitmaster’s whims--though they all share a pretty similar sweet, smoky flavor. We wanted to make our own version of barbecued beans at home in a slow cooker. Here’s what we discovered: shopping list
• Choose small white beans and soak them overnight for the creamiest, most tender texture. shopping list
• Add smoky flavor via fine-chopped bacon. There’s no need to sauté it; it will dissolve into the beans during the long, slow simmer. shopping list
• Add lots of onions and garlic and sauté them before assembling all the ingredients in the slow cooker. Many slow cooker recipes skip this step for convenience’s sake, but we think the rich flavor the step generates is well worth the extra effort. shopping list
• Blend barbecue sauce and an unexpected ingredient, coffee, for a deep, resonant flavor. Reserve the coffee until the beans have cooked; otherwise it will make the beans taste bitter. shopping list
• Add a little barbecue sauce and mustard (along with the coffee) to the beans just before serving for an accent. shopping list