Baked Beans, Boston Style

FOR BEANS: The night before, spread the beans out on a baking sheet and pick through to remove any small stones or debris. Place the beans in a colander and rinse under cold running water for 1 minute. Transfer the beans to a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven, add enough water to cover them by 3 inches, and soak the beans overnight. Drain. Alternately, place the beans in the Dutch oven with enough water to cover, bring them to a full, rolling boil, cover and turn off the heat. Let the beans soak for 1 hour. Drain the beans in a colander and set aside.

TO ASSEMBLE: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In a 5 1/2-quart Dutch oven combine the bacon, onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook over medium-high heat until the bacon has lightly browned and the onions are wilted, about 10 minutes. Add the drained beans, brown sugar, molasses, Dijon mustard, dry mustard, horseradish, chili sauce or tomato sauce, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to mix well. Add enough beef stock or water to just cover the beans. Cover the pot and place in the oven. Cook for 4 hours. Stir every hour and check the stock level, adding more as needed.

TO SERVE: Remove the lid and continue baking (adding more stock or water to keep the beans moist) for 2 hours longer, or until the beans are tender and the color of deep caramel. Cover and let the beans sit for 15 minutes before serving with Steamed Brown Bread.