More beans!

[madbaker]

This week's Resolution Recipe: Boston Baked Beans.

1 lb white (!) beans
1 large yellow onion, peeled
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
2 Tbsp sugar (cut down from 4 in the original)
1/3 cup molasses (I used about 1/4 c maple syrup; we don't care for molasses)
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Soak the beans in water to cover overnight.
Place the onion in the bottom of an ovenproof casserole. Add half the bacon. Add the beans. Top with the remaining bacon. Mix together the rest; pour over the beans, and add enough water barely to cover. Do not stir. Bake, covered, at 300 for 6 hours. After a couple of hours, stir and check beans. You may have to add a bit of water now and then. Don't make the beans too wet.

What worked: Nice. They tasted like a gourmet version of canned pork & beans (but with more pork, obviously). I used a gourmet white bean from Rancho Gordo; I don't remember what kind.

What didn't: It would have been better as a side dish rather than a main course, although I might cut back on the bacon in that case.

Will I make it again? Sure, especially in the winter.

Comments

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Does the fact that you are soaking them overnight imply that you are starting with dried beans? Does one drain them afterwards, or is one combining the soaked beans, the soaking water + everything else?

[madbaker.livejournal.com]

This recipe wasn't written very well, was it? They are indeed dried, and they are drained, rinsed, and drained again before cooking. At least that's what I did.

[kareina.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I had to ask because I never have dried beans in the house--the local stores have so many varieties of "canned" (really cardboard boxes) beans available in a ready to eat format I haven't even looked to see if they carry dried ones.