Beans with lard and Trois-Pistoles beer

• 4 cups small white navy beans, uncooked
• 1/2 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup Trois-Pistoles beer from Unibroue, lukewarm
• Water

• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and sliced in half
• About 250g salted lard (pork belly ), cut in big cubes
• 2 teaspoons dried mustard
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 200ml brown sugar
• 200ml molasses
• 250ml maple syrup
• 1/2 cup Trois-Pistoles beer from Unibroue, lukewarm
• Lukewarm water
• Salt and ground pepper

• Place the beans in a big sauce pan then pour the maple syrup and beer over. Add enough water so that there is about 5cm of liquid over the beans. Stir well and cover. Let soak for 12 hours while stirring from times to times. Add water if necessary, beans need to be under the liquid at all times.
• After the soaking period, put the pan on the fire at high heat and bring to a boil. Lower heat then simmer for 30 minutes while stirring delicately from times to times. Remove from heat and drain beans. Set aside.
• In a big slow cooker, place half the lard in the bottom and put one half of the onion in the center. Pour the beans over everything.
• In a bowl, combine together the dried mustard, tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup and beer. Stir well. Pour the mix over the beans. Do not stir the beans!!!!
• Add the remaining lard on top of the beans and insert the other half of the onion in the center, until it disappears in the beans. Pour water on top until liquid is barely higher that the beans. Season with salt and pepper.
• Cover and clow cook at low temperature for 10 hours. You can stir the beans but only once, towards the ends only. ENJOY!!!

***Note : I do the soaking during the day and the cooking during the night. This way, I have a nice surprise when I wake up the day after!