Boston Baked Beans
"As with any other dish, there are varying schools of thought on Boston Baked Beans. There's your bacon vs. salt pork, your molasses vs. maple syrup, etc. This is my mother's recipe, which I ate all through my childhood, so to me this is how BBB should taste. Live dangerously -- make these once just the way the recipe says before you start fiddling with 'em."
- Ready In:
- 7hrs 30mins
- Ingredients:
- 7
- Serves:
-
10-12
ingredients
directions
- Wash the beans and pick out any bad ones.
- Put beans in a 3- or 4-quart pot and cover well with water.
- Simmer (NOT boil) for about an hour; check occasionally to be sure water doesn't cook away.
- Drain beans and rinse.
- Return to pot.
- Mix together remaining ingredients (except the salt pork) and stir into beans, together with enough water to cover beans well.
- Put beans into a stoneware pot of some kind. A real beanpot, the kind with the two little handles and the narrow neck, is best. Otherwise, any stoneware pot that holds about 3 quarts and has a well-fitting cover will do. They will not taste as good baked in metal, or even pyrex.
- Cut the salt pork into two or three pieces and add to the pot; push pieces down into the beans somewhat.
- Bake at 300 degrees for 6 to 8 hours.
- Check occasionally, and if top is dry, add more water.
- If you want to, you can put some hot dogs or rope sausage such as Hillshire Farms beef sausage in on top of the beans for the last hour or so of baking. The meat cooks at the same time as the beans, and picks up their flavor.
- The right thing to serve with these beans is, of course, Boston Brown Bread, for which I have noticed a couple of recipes here on the Zaar.
- There are two ways to cut down on the time a bit. One is to simmer the beans about 20 minutes longer and then bake them for only about 3 hours. Also, after simmering, you can put the beans in a crockpot. That takes longer—figure about 18 hours to be sure that the beans won't be crunchy—but they can be left unattended.
Questions & Replies
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Looking for Boston Baked Beans recipe WITHOUT pork products; not kosher with pork. Have four day challenge to send that plus several other Boston themed recipes or be outed for article I DID NOT write.
Reviews
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These are true Baked Beans, nothing like the mushy canned variety. I had some coarse ground wieners that were made at a little meat market.I used these instead of the salt pork.The dish tasted as real home cooking should.It's a great dish for a cool rainy day.I agree with Jo Ann L. You simply MUST bake beans in a crock or authntic bean pot. If you don't have one, invest in one. Lots if dishes are so much better cooked in a crock in the oven!! -
These were delicious and very easy to make. I hated BBB as a kid but wanted to make some for my mother and this recipe is one of the most authentic. To my surprise I liked them too! And I took some to a potluck where they were a big hit. I will make them again for myself and may try adding a bit of onion. Thanks Jo Ann L!
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Wonderful beans with excellent flavor! I made these yesterday and, because the oven was occupied with Cher's char-grilled brisket(#37996), I changed the cooking method. I soaked the beans overnight then simmered for about a half hour. Then I put everything into my slow cooker and cooked it on low for about 6 hours then on high for another 2 hours to reduce the liquid. I also added a small,finely diced onion(sorry,but I had to fiddle!:)) and diced the leanest part of the salt pork and threw that in before I started the cooker. Everyone loved these and I'll definitely be making this recipe again! -
These turned out very good, even after freezing the leftovers. Had to use bacon instead of salt pork, but it didn't seem to hurt the flavor. The bacon just crumbles into mealy pieces that don't look as attractive as the salt pork. Will definitely prepare again. They were easily done in 6 hours.
Tweaks
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These turned out very good, even after freezing the leftovers. Had to use bacon instead of salt pork, but it didn't seem to hurt the flavor. The bacon just crumbles into mealy pieces that don't look as attractive as the salt pork. Will definitely prepare again. They were easily done in 6 hours.
RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
Jo Ann L
San Jose, CA
I am a retired community college instructor. I taught Communication Studies for 36 years, 34 of them at a community college in California. I do a lot of church volunteer work, and a lot of pitterputtering, and retirement is great!
