For anyone who has spent time in New England, Boston Baked Beans stir up a bit of old fashioned nostalgia. My mom used to make these once a year in the summertime, so when our neighborhood BBQ was on the calendar, I thought this dish would be the perfect accompaniment for the grilled meats. They were a hit and many requested the recipe so here it is:
3 pounds of navy or pea beans
1 large onion, chopped
4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons dry mustard
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups of molassas
1/2 pound salt pork - cubed
Soak the beans overnight in enough water to keep them covered.
Drain and rinse the beans. Cook them in a large pot with enough water to keep them covered. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 45 minutes to an hour - until the beans are tender. Drain, keep the liquid.
In a large bean pot or deep casserole with lid, combine all the ingredients, except for 1 cup of molassas. Add enough of the cooking liquid to just cover the beans. Stir to blend.
Cook at 325 for 4 hours. (or more!) Check the beans every half hour or so, add the cooking liquid as necessary to keep the beans moist. Add the remaining 1 cup of molasses in two to three intervals. (you can omit this if you prefer)
I like these baked beans with a lot of molasses - they turn almost black and are the perfect summer dish to accompany all those BBQ's.
My mother used to make baked bean sandwiches with the leftovers - with white breat and mayo. I prefer them in the traditional Boston way - with some good hearty brown bread and butter.
Hope you're enjoying summer!
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