Boston Baked Beans
- Preparation and cooking time
- Total time
- Easy
- Serves 4
Ingredients
- 500g dried white beans (I used cannelini but white kidney or haricot beans would also work)
- 450g piece smoked pork belly (or smoked bacon or pancetta; you want it in one piece so you can cut nice chunks), cut into chunks, including the rind.
- 2 tablespoons tomato puree
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons molasses
- 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 4 cloves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- Salt and pepper
Method
- STEP 1In a large bowl, cover the beans with plenty of cold water, leaving room for them to double in size. Leave to soak overnight. The next day, drain and rinse the beans.
- STEP 2Place them in a large pan or heavy casserole dish if you have one (so you won't have to transfer the beans when you want to put them in the oven). Cover them with water. This needs to reach 2 inches above the top of the beans. Bring to the boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, skimming off the scum. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 1 hour.
- STEP 3If using a saucepan, now transfer to an ovenproof casserole. Add all the other ingredients but NO salt at this point. Cover and cook for 3 hours. After this time, taste and season carefully with salt (the pork will be salty). Cook, uncovered for a further hour.
