4th of July Balsamic BBQ Baked Beans

Ingredients

• 1 Tablespoon Bacon Fat Or Olive Oil
• 1-½ cup Diced Onion
• 1 cup Diced Celery
• 1 cup Diced Carrot
• ½ cups Balsamic Vinegar
• 2 Tablespoons Tomato Paste
• 2 Tablespoons Whole Grain Dijon Mustard
• 1-½ teaspoon Chopped Fresh Rosemary
• 1 Tablespoon Cocoa Powder
• 2 teaspoons Salt
• 2 teaspoons Smoked Paprika
• ½ teaspoons Pepper
• 2 cups Dried Yellow Eye Beans (Great Northern Will Work Too)
• 5 cups Water
• 12 ounces, fluid Stone Smoked Porter With Chipotle Peppers (any Porter Or Dark Beer Will Work)

Preparation Instructions

Start a pot over medium high heat, adding in the bacon fat. Add in the onion, celery, and carrots, and cook until translucent, about 10 minutes. Add in the balsamic vinegar to deglaze the pan for a minute, then add in the tomato paste, Dijon mustard, rosemary, cocoa powder, salt, paprika, and pepper. Mix well, and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.

Set a crock pot on high and add in the beans, vegetable mixture, water, and beer. Cook the beans for 4 hours, stirring occasionally, until tender. If you don’t have a crock pot, you can simmer the beans in a stock pot, on low heat, until tender.