BOSTON BAKED BEANS … FOR GROWN-UPS

We all grew up on baked beans, but this is baked beans with a difference.  It’s baked beans for grown-ups.  Bring it to the table in an old-fashioned bean pot.  It becomes pure theatre.  Serve with crusty bread and salad.

In this recipe I suggest you taste your beans part way through the baking and then adjust the seasoning.  Every time I make these beans I make a few changes here and there.   These beans so full of flavour you will find yourself eating them right out of the bean pot.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS serves 4-6

1 pound (or around 400g)  dried white navy beans

1 onion halved, cut root end off and leave stem intact,   then stick with 2-3  cloves

A generous 1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp. cooking molasses

1/2 cup  ketchup

3 tbsp. tomato paste

2 tbsp. dry mustard mixed with a little water

3 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

2 tsp. salt (taste part way through baking then adjust)

1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

4 tbsp. red wine vinegar plus a little extra to finish (around 2 more tbsp.)

1 1/2 pounds fresh  pork belly, rind removed and cut into generous bite sized cubes.  If your butcher doesn’t have pork belly find a better place to buy your meat.  Fresh pork belly is bacon that hasn’t been smoked.   As the beans slowly cook the pork belly fat dissolves into the beans for a gorgeous, rich flavour. In a pinch substitute pork butt or shoulder.

Start this dish the night before you wish to serve it.  Put the beans in a large bowl and cover with cold water and soak over night.

Start your recipe early in the day.  The longer the beans cook in the oven the better the flavor.    Preheat the oven to 300°F.

Rinse the soaked beans and put them in a large bean pot or covered casserole dish.

Cover the beans with water. Add the onion quarters studded with a clove or two to the pot along with the sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, vinegar, pork and some black pepper and salt.   Bake the beans for at 4 to 5 hours, until beans are tender and dark in colour.   Check occasionally and top up with water if the beans appear to need it.

Taste your beans part way through the cooking.  If necessary add a little more of the sugar, ketchup, molasses, tomato paste.  The taste is up to you.  I like a really robust flavor so I am generous with all these ingredients.  If necessary, remove the lid for the last 30 minutes to reduce some of the remaining liquid.  When your beans are done splash in a bit more red wine vinegar and enjoy this one-pot wonder.