Boston Baked Beans
Tender beans slowly baked in molasses with salt pork in the old New England tradition.

Recipe by Paul Mayville

Here's a dish that is uniquely American and dates back to colonial days. It isn't much different from the one the Puritan's used to make their Saturday night supper.

The Puritan housewife baked her beans all day Saturday and served them fresh for the Saturday night meal (the beginning of Sabbath). Then, providing she did not consider it necessary to fast from breakfast until sundown on Sunday, she warmed them over for Sunday breakfast and served them warm or cold, depending on the heat-holding qualities of her oven, for Sunday's noonday lunch. Of all the Puritan influences which fastened themselves on New England, the Saturday night baked bean supper is one of the most induring. Baked Beans are still eaten every Saturday night by some New Englanders.

Some controversy exists to this day regarding the use of sugar in baked beans. Traditionalists insist on using only molasses to flavor the beans. Vermont cooks favor maple syrup since that local product is plentiful and inexpensive. Other regional differences among

New Englanders remain as well, such as using onion, bay leaf, ginger and ketchup. However it was molasses that started the whole thing due to the dominance of Boston's rum industry that goes back as far as colonial days. The town even suffered a "Great Molasses Flood" when a tank holding molasses for rum production exploded in 1919 killing 21 and injuring 150. What a way to go!

Try to find yourself an authentic bean pot. Failing that, use a 2 quart casserole with a lid. Also, it's important to keep beans covered with water until the last hour of cooking. And if you just can't bring yourself to buy some salt pork, substitute chopped fatty bacon instead.

Ingredients

• 1 pound small white (pea) beans
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 quart boiling water
• 1/4 pound salt pork
• Brown bread

Directions

Wash and pick over beans, checking for rocks and bad beans, and soak overnight in cold water.

First thing next morning drain, add to 3-4 quart sauce pan, cover with fresh water and bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 1/2 hours. Drain again and stir in onion, molasses, ketchup, brown sugar, dry mustard, and salt; turn into bean pot. Pour about 1 1/2 cups of the boiling water into the sauce pan and swirl it around to loosen the ketchup and molasses left behind; Pour into the bean pot. Score rind of salt pork and press into beans until only the rind is above the beans. Add enough boiling water to cover beans.

Cover and bake in slow oven (250 F.) for at least 8 hours without stirring, adding boiling water as necessary to keep beans covered. Remove cover during last hour and raise temperature to 300 F. This will brown the beans and add flavor.

Serve with brown bread.

Serves 4