How to Cook Boston Baked Beans
Boston has been famous for baked beans since colonial times. Although there may be as many variations to the dish as there are cooks in Beantown, nearly every recipe calls for salt pork, sugar and molasses. For authenticity's sake, cook your beans in a bean pot, a squat clay jar with a lid. This recipe will serve eight people. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Water
- 2 cups beans (navy, pea, Great Northern or other small dried bean)
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1/2 lb. salt pork
- 2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup molasses
- 2 quart lidded casserole or bean pot
Instructions
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1
Wash beans. Cover them with cold water and soak 12 to 24 hours.
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2
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.
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3
Add salt to the beans and stir. Drain the beans and save the liquid.
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4
Cut off 1/4 to 1/3 of the salt pork and place it at the bottom of the casserole or bean pot.
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5
Cover the salt pork with the beans and add the mustard, dark brown sugar, molasses and reserved bean water, mixing well. Make sure the beans are just covered by the water. Add more if necessary.
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6
Score the remaining piece of salt pork with 1-inch cuts about every half inch and place the salt pork on top of the beans.
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7
Cover the bean pot or casserole and cook the beans for 6 to 8 hours, adding water as needed, until the beans are very tender.
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8
Uncover for the final hour of cooking to allow the pork rind to become crispy and the beans to develop a crust.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Some cooks add a diced onion in Step 5. Sample the beans after they are baked and add more seasonings, including salt or pepper, to your taste.
