Bacon and Beans a la Creole

• A Quart of Dried Red Beans
• A Pound Slab of Bacon, Whole
• Salt and Pepper

Soak the beans over night. Drain off all water. Place in a pot and cover well with cold water, in the proportions already mentioned. Add the bacon, leaving it in a single square piece. When both have boiled about two hours, season well with pepper and a little salt, if necessary, and place the bacon in the center of a baking dish. Drain the Beans and put them around the bacon. Fill the pan to t