Boston Baked Beans
Slow-cooked beans, smoky pork and dark molasses create magnificent, sticky Boston comfort food.
Ingredients
- 350 g dried navy beans
- 150 g smoked streaky bacon, cut into chunky pieces
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 100 g black treacle or dark molasses
- 50 g soft dark brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 500 ml chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 bay leaf
Instructions
- Soak the beans overnight in plenty of cold water.
- Drain, rinse and put them into a saucepan. Cover with fresh water and simmer for 30 minutes, until beginning to soften.
- Drain, reserving around 250ml of the cooking liquid.
- Heat the oven to 150°C fan / 170°C conventional / Gas Mark 3.
- Put half the bacon into a heavy ovenproof casserole and add the beans, onion, treacle, brown sugar, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper.
- Add the remaining bacon and bay leaf.
- Pour in the stock and enough reserved bean liquid to almost cover everything.
- Cover and cook for 3 hours.
- Remove the lid and cook for another 30–45 minutes, allowing the sauce to become thick, dark and glossy.
- Rest for 15 minutes before serving.
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Notes
Boston baked beans have a fascinating history. The dish grew out of Indigenous bean-cooking traditions and became closely associated with Boston, with molasses and salt pork becoming characteristic ingredients. The beanpot itself remains strongly connected with the city's culinary heritage. These beans are even better the following day. In fact, I'd deliberately make them ahead. Like a good stew, a night's rest lets everything settle, and the flavours deepen.
Nutrition
1011
Calories
48G
Fat
5G
Saturates
42G
Sugars
22139G
Salt
31G
Protein
110G
Carbs
25G
Fibre
ⓘ UK Government Reference Intakes (RIs).
