Boston Baked Beans

Favorite, Ma Cusson Kitchen, Side Dish

Cook Time: 8 hours
Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 16 cups
Source:

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs pea/navy beans
  • 1/4 lb salt pork
  • 2 tablespoons baking soda
  • 1 medium onion
  • 4 tablespoons brown sugar (packed, rounded)
  • 4 teaspoons dry mustard
  • 2 teaspoons salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground clove
  • 1/2 cup molasses
  • 1/4 cup catsup
  • 4-6 cups Hot water to cover beans

Directions

  1. Soak beans 8 hours or
  2. Bring beans to boil for 10 minutes (doing both tends to make mushy beans)
  3. Scald salt pork with boiling water while beans are boiling, set aside
  4. Remove beans from heat, add 2 tablespoons baking soda to beans in water, stir and wait for foam to stop
  5. Drain (reserving about 4 cups of the water) and rinse beans thoroughly
  6. Preheat oen to 275F
  7. In large (4.5 quart) bean pot put salt pork and onion (whole)
  8. Add beans
  9. Add brown sugar, mustard, salt, pepper, clove, molasses, and catsup
  10. Add approximately 4-6 cups water (including the reserved bean water) to cover beans
  11. Cook in oven for 8 hours at 275F

Notes

  • Scaling the recipe by 50% works well
  • Back in 2014 the LA Times posted an article explaining why you don't need to (and probably shouldn't) pre-soak your beans
  • 1 teaspoon salt/lb of beans is generally recommended. Your tastebuds will thank you.
  • Most importantly, baked beans are always better the next day (or after they've completely cooled)! This really gives them the time needed for all the flavors to soak in.