Classic New England Baked Beans
Makes 10 to 12 servings
Ingredients:
1 pound pea beans, navy beans or great northern beans
Water
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 cup molasses
1-1/2 to 2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 pound salt pork, rind scored
Method:
Wash beans and pick over, removing any pebbles or dirt. Place in a large pot.
Add cold water to cover. Soak overnight. Drain. Add fresh water to cover. Bring to a boil; boil about 1-1/2 hours or until bean skins begin to break but beans are intact. To test, remove a few beans with a spoon.
Blow over them, skins should ruffle. The quick-soak method can be used. Turn beans with their liquid into an earthenware pot. Add salt, mustard, molasses and brown sugar. Press piece of salt pork, rind-side up, into center of beans so it is even with top of beans. Add enough water to not quite cover beans.
Place in oven and set at 300F (150C). Bake, uncovered, just until beans begin to simmer, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cover.
Bake 8 hours, adding more boiling water occasionally as liquid evaporates. Remove lid for last 30 minutes so juices will boil down. Don't stir, this would
mash up beans and they should remain whole.
Variations:
Connecticut-Style Beans: Bury a large peeled onion in beans before baking. Some cooks
first stick onion with 4 or 5 whole cloves.
Cape Cod Beans:
Pour 1/2 cup whipping cream over beans during last 30 minutes of baking.
Vermont-Style Beans:
Substitute maple syrup for molasses and brown sugar.
Autumn-Style Beans:
Bury a bay leaf in beans below salt pork. Add 4 cups fresh whole-kernel corn to beans during last 30 minutes of baking.
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