4 slices bacon, diced
1 large onion, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed and picked over
1 cup coffee, brewed
1/2 cup Emeril's Kicked Up Bam B Q Barbecue Sauce or your favorite barbecue sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar, plus 1 tablespoon
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard or other whole-grain brown mustard
1 tablespoon molasses
1 teaspoon red hot sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
6 cups water
2 teaspoons salt
Soak the beans in water overnight.
Set the oven to 300°F.
In a heavy cast-iron Dutch oven, cook the bacon over medium-high heat until the fat has rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until it is softened and lightly caramelized, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and thyme, and cook for 1 minute longer. Then add the drained beans, coffee, barbecue sauce, brown sugar, mustard, molasses, hot sauce, and pepper, and stir to combine well. Add the water , raise the heat, and bring to a boil. Cover the pot, transfer it to the oven, and bake for 2 hours, undisturbed.
Remove the pot from the oven, and stir the beans. Re-cover the pot and continue to bake until the beans are tender, about 1 hour longer.
When the beans are tender, add salt, remove the cover from the pot and continue baking until the liquid has reduced to a thick, saucelike consistency and the beans are thick and flavorful, 1 to 1 1/4 hours. Remove the pot from the oven, and remove the thyme sprigs. Adjust the seasoning if necessary, and serve the beans either hot or warm.