Boston Baked Beans is a classic American Recipe. And this is one of the great times of year to put them together..especially if you’re going to be home for several hours due to the weather or football. Anyway, we tried several variations of the classic recipe and have arrived at one that really produces some great beans…
Now these are traditional Boston Baked Beans which mean the use of salt pork. But many people including ourselves would like to enjoy these fantastic beans but in a more healthy fashion. Well, right now we’re working on a vegan version of this recipe that’s not only vegan but tastes great as well. We should have this wrapped in a week or two. But for now here’s the recipe for Traditional Boston Baked Beans. A few notes… we don’t presoak the beans..tried it and got the same results by going directly to the oven. Also, we didn’t use a bean pot but rather a cast iron dutch oven. If you’re using a ceramic bean pot you should skip the boiling step and add the fat/molasses mixture relatively cool. That way you avoid the chance of thermo-shock/cracking the ceramic and getting into a messy and possibly unsafe situation. Increase baking time to compensate. … So the message is that if you don’t have a metallic Dutch Oven go out and pick one up..they have dozens of uses…Anyway here you go:
Shopping List:
- 6 ounces of Organic or Sustainably Raised Salt Pork
- 2 Medium Organic Onions
- 2 Tablespoons of Full Flavored Prepared Organic Mustard
- 1 Tablespoon of Organic Grade A Amber Maple Syrup
- 1 Tablespoon of Organic Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon of Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt
- 1/4 Teaspoon of Organic Black Pepper
- 3/4 Cup Organic Molasses
- Up to 9 Cups of Spring Water
- 2 1/2 Cups of Dried Organic Navy Beans
Recipe:
- Place your oven rack to the center position and preheat the oven to 300F.
- Wash and sort 2 1/2 Cups of Navy Beans. Remove any stones and funky looking beans. Eating rocks isn’t safe..so don’t miss any stones.
- Cut the Rind off of a 6 ounce piece of Salt Pork & discard.
- Cut the remaining salt pork into small cubes & place into the Metallic Dutch Oven.
- Place the Metallic Dutch Oven on Medium Heat. Stir occasionally but do not overcook. We’re just rendering the fat.
- Once done, chop two medium onions into small pieces & place into the Metallic Dutch Oven and continue cooking moving the pieces around occasionally. We want the onions very lightly browned but not overcooked.
- Add 2 Tablespoons of Prepared Mustard to the Dutch Oven.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of Maple Syrup to the Dutch Oven.
- Add 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil to the Dutch Oven.
- Add 1 Teaspoon of Apple Cider Vinegar tot he Dutch Oven.
- Add 1 1/2 Teaspoons of Sea Salt to the Dutch Oven.
- Add 1/4 Teaspoon of Black Pepper to the Dutch Oven.
- Add 3/4 Cups of Molasses to the Dutch Oven.
- Stir together to combine.
- Add the 2 1/2 Cups of Washed and Sorted Beans.
- Add enough spring water to cover the beans but also leave enough room so that you can transfer the beans without the water sloshing out of the Dutch Oven (when you are transferring to the Pre-heated Oven).
- Increase the heat and bring the mixture to a boil.
- Place the lid on the Dutch Oven and carefully transfer the Dutch Oven to the Pre-heated Oven. If you can’t safely do this DON’T… you can get severely burned by the boiling water. Also make sure that there are no pets or children around to interfere or get close to you. You do not want to severely burn you or them….(hey, I’m a huge believer in safety what can I say).
- Bake for approximately 5 1/2 hours until the beans are tender. During the baking process try to keep about 1/2 – 1″ of water above the beans. You’ll need to check the beans periodically while baking and add additional water as necessary. Needless to say you can get burned while doing this so wear protective gloves and be very careful.
Simply add any additional salt and pepper to taste when serving. Hope you enjoy.
Related Links: