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Boston Baked Beans
Boston Baked Beans are made with navy beans that are cooked low and slow in the oven in a rich, sweet sauce made with molasses, brown sugar, and maple syrup.
Ingredients
1 pound dry navy beans (see Key Ingredients section in post for buying suggestions)
1/2 pound fatty salt pork (little or no meat visible), rinsed of salt and cut into half-inch cubes; rind left on
1 large yellow onion, cut in half the long way and cut into thick half-moon slices
1/2 cup unsulfured molasses
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2-6 cups of water, as needed
1/2 cup ketchup
1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Pick over the beans looking for small pebbles or sticks, then soak the beans overnight at room temperature in three quarts of tap water.
- After soaking overnight, drain and rinse under cold water and drain again. Set them aside.
- Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
- In a 5–6-quart Dutch oven over medium high heat, add the salt pork pieces and cook for about 15 minutes to brown.
- Add the onions and cook for two minutes.
- Add the drained beans, molasses, maple syrup, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, brown sugar, pepper, garlic powder, and two cups of water. Do not add ketchup, vinegar, or salt yet.
- Bring the mixture up to bubbling, cover, and place in the oven for 90 minutes.
- After 90 minutes, remove from the oven and add the ketchup, vinegar and salt and stir. Check the consistency. If it is very wet, do not add water. If a lot of the water has been absorbed, add a cup or two of water. Cover and place back into the oven for 90 more minutes.
- Remove from the oven and again check for consistency and add a cup or two of water only if needed. Reduce the oven to 275 degrees F, cover and continue to cook for one more hour.
- Remove the pot of beans and check for doneness. The beans should be soft with a slight chew and the liquid should be thick. If the beans need longer, continue to cook in 30-minute intervals, adding more water if needed. If the beans are cooked, but the liquid is too loose, cook on the stovetop on medium low, stirring often until the right consistency.
- Serve and enjoy.
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Notes
Our recipe took four hours in the oven plus five minutes on the stovetop to thicken and we only used 2 ½ cups of water. Our beans were very fresh.
Find it online: https://www.afamilyfeast.com/boston-baked-beans/
