Cooking Cheap

From “Smoke & Spice” by Cheryl And Bill Jamison.

1 pound dried navy beans
1 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
4 slices bacon chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium bell peppers, chopped, preferably red and green
1 cup tomato based barbecue sauce, or more to taste
1 cup apple cider
1/3 cup molasses
1/4 cup prepared yellow mustard - cheap stuff is fine
1 to 2 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 cup Burnt Ends (optional)

1. Soak the beans for at least 4 hours in water to cover, then drain.
2. In a large heavy saucepan, combine the beans with 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil on high heat and then reduce to simmer. Cook slowly stirring up from the bottom for a least 2 to 3 hours, depending on the beans. Stir in the salt after the beans have softened. Add more water if the beans seem dry. The beans are ready when they mash easily, but still hold their shape.
3. Preheat oven to 325ºF.
4. In a skillet, fry the bacon until crisp. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain it. Add the bell pepper and onion to the rendered bacon drippings and saute until soft
5. Transfer the bacon and onion mixture to a greased Dutch Oven or other baking dish. Mix in the remaining ingredients and the beans. Bake, covered for about 1 hour. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 to 30 minutes. Serve Hot. the beans reheat especially well.

[Cecil Notes}
Burnt ends are the charred bits on a smoked briskest. I didn’t have any but they were optional and the recipe works without them. Obviously, your choice of BBQ sauce is up to you. I mixed two different ones to get a cup and since one of them had a fair amount of vinegar, I reduced the recipe amount of vinegar