These beans are even better the next day; the recipe reheats well! An ideal make-ahead dish, served along with good bread and red wine. If you have a slow-cooker hanging around, this recipe is a good excuse to haul it out!
Chop the bacon and arrange in bottom of a casserole dish. Add beans, onion, garlic, spices, and pepper. Cover the beans with water and cover. Bake until beans are soft and a few have burst (usually up to 3 hours.) Add more water if they start to go dry; if too much liquid is left remove lid during last hour or so of cooking. You want just enough liquid left so that it looks like a very thick sauce.
Stir in the wine, and some salt and pepper. Let the beans rest covered outside the oven for about an hour to absorb the wine taste.
Discard the onion. Stir the beans so that the chopped bacon is now throughout it. Reheat the beans in a somewhat hotter oven (this will take about 45 minutes.) Remove the cover if the sauce is staying too thin. Adjust seasoning, serve hot.
Notes
Use what you wish for spices / herbs: parsley, oregano, bay leaves, celery sticks, thyme, marjoram, summer savoury, etc. Use about a tablespoon in total of all herbs / spices.