ANNIE'S AWARD-WINNING BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Use a sharp knife to cut 3 or 4 slits evenly spaced through skin on ham hocks. Add ham hocks, onion, celery, bay leaves, garlic, liquid smoke, basil, thyme, sage, salt, and pepper to the water and bring to a good boil for 1 hour.
• Add beans to the pot. Return to a boil and cook gently until beans are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Check liquid level often and add more water if necessary.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Place bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium-high heat, turning occasionally, until evenly browned, about 10 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels. Transfer bacon to a large bowl and add onion.
• Use a slotted spoon to dip beans and ham hocks out of the water and into a 9x13-inch baking pan. Reserve liquid from the beans. Clean all meat off of the ham hocks, discard bones, and add meat to the bowl with the bacon and onions.
• Mix in pineapple, brown sugar, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir in steak sauce, good steak sauce, and garlic. Add liquid smoke, salt, and black pepper; mix until completely incorporated. Fold in bacon mixture. Adjust seasonings if necessary. Pour bean mixture into the baking pan and add some reserved bean liquid over beans if necessary.
• Bake in the preheated oven until beans are hot and bubbly all around the edges, about 30 minutes.