Boston Baked Beans

Name: Boston Baked Beans
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 6 h 30 min
Total time: 7 h
Yield: 10 servings
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 pound (454 g) dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed; ½ teaspoon (2½ g) baking soda; 6 ounces (170 g) salt pork, rinsed; rind scored in a crosshatch, then cut into 1-inch pieces; 1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped; ½ cup (170 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap); ¼ cup (55 g) dark brown sugar, packed; 2 teaspoons (4 g) dry mustard powder; 1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar; ½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground; kosher salt, to taste, added at the end; 5 cups (1200 ml) water, plus more as needed for soaking and topping up

From the MyKitchenBank Kitchen

Tender navy beans slow-baked for hours in a dark, glossy sauce of molasses, brown sugar and dry mustard, with salt pork melting into every spoonful. Smoky-sweet, savory and deeply old-fashioned.

Prep: 30 min
Cook: 6 hr 30 min
Wait: 8 hr 20 min
Total: 15 hr 20 min
Makes: About 8 cups (10 side-dish servings)

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Ingredients

10 servings

1 pound (454 g) dried navy beans, picked over and rinsed
½ teaspoon (2.5 g) baking soda
6 ounces (170 g) salt pork, rinsed; rind scored in a crosshatch, then cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium (200 g) yellow onion, peeled and finely chopped
½ cup (170 g) unsulphured molasses (not blackstrap)
¼ cup (55 g) dark brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons (4 g) dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon (15 ml) apple cider vinegar
½ teaspoon (1 g) black pepper, freshly ground
kosher salt, to taste, added at the end
5 cups (1200 ml) water, plus more as needed for soaking and topping up

Equipment (6)

4- to 5-quart (3.8-4.7 L) Dutch oven or bean pot with lid
Large bowl (for soaking)
Large pot or the Dutch oven for simmering the beans
Colander
Sharp knife and cutting board
Instant-read thermometer (to confirm the pork is at least 145°F / 63°C)

Steps

Before you start

Soak the beans the night before: they need 8-12 hours, so start the evening prior.
Rinse the salt pork well; it is very salty, so do not add extra salt until the final taste.
Check that your pot holds at least 4 quarts (3.8 L) and has a tight-fitting lid; the beans swell and need liquid to cover.
Plan about 6 hours of oven time. Check the liquid level every hour or so.

1
Soak the beans
- Put the rinsed navy beans in a large bowl and cover with at least 2 inches (5 cm) of cold water, about 8 cups (1.9 L).
- Let soak at room temperature for 8 to 12 hours, then drain and rinse.
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Ready when: Beans look plump and wrinkle-free, with no hard white center when one is cut
Tip: Soak in a cool spot or the fridge in hot weather so they don't ferment.
2
Parboil the beans
- Put the drained beans in the Dutch oven with 8 cups (1.9 L) fresh water and the baking soda.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium-low and simmer, partly covered, for 30 minutes.
- Skim any foam.
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Ready when: A bean's skin splits when you blow on it, and the beans are just barely tender
Tip: Don't boil hard or the skins burst and the beans turn mushy.
3
Reserve cooking liquidOven 300°F / 150°C
- Set a colander over a large bowl and drain the beans, saving the cooking liquid.
- Measure out 3 cups (700 ml) of it; discard the rest.
- Heat the oven to 300°F (150°C) with a rack in the lower third.
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Ready when: You have 3 cups of liquid set aside and the oven is at temperature
4
Layer the pot
- Rinse out the Dutch oven.
- Scatter half the onion and half the salt pork on the bottom, pour in the beans, then bury the remaining salt pork in the beans with the rind side up and the remaining onion on top.
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Ready when: The pork is nestled in the beans with just the rind pieces peeking out
5
Make the sauce
- In a bowl, whisk the 3 cups (700 ml) reserved hot bean liquid with the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, cider vinegar and black pepper until the molasses and sugar dissolve.
- Pour over the beans.
- Add hot water if needed so the liquid just covers the beans.
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Ready when: Sauce is smooth with no mustard lumps and the beans are just submerged
Tip: Keep the sauce liquid thin at this stage; it thickens as it bakes.
6
Bake coveredOven 300°F / 150°C
- Cover the pot tightly and bake in the 300°F (150°C) oven for 4 hours.
- Every hour, lift the lid, gently stir, and check the liquid.
- If beans are exposed, add hot water, ½ cup (120 ml) at a time.
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Ready when: Beans are tender and the sauce is dark brown and bubbling gently around the edges
Tip: Use hot water for topping up; cold water can toughen the beans.
7
Bake uncoveredOven 300°F / 150°C
- Remove the lid and bake 1 to 2 hours more, stirring once or twice, until the sauce is thick, syrupy and clings to the beans, and the pork is very tender.
- Near the end, push an instant-read thermometer into a piece of salt pork: it must read at least 145°F (63°C); after this long in the oven it will usually be well above that.
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Ready when: A spoon dragged across the bottom leaves a trail that slowly fills in; beans are creamy when mashed; pork reads at least 145°F (63°C) and cuts with no resistance
Tip: If beans are still firm after 2 hours, re-cover and keep baking; old beans can take longer.
8
Rest and season
- Remove from the oven.
- Fish out the rind pieces and discard them (or chop the meaty pork back in).
- Taste, then stir in salt only if needed.
- Rest, uncovered, for 20 minutes; the sauce thickens as it cools.
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Ready when: Sauce coats the back of a spoon in a glossy layer
Tip: Salt pork is salty, so always taste before adding salt.

Good to know

Tips

Use unsulphured molasses; blackstrap is too bitter for this amount.
Don't add salt or acidic ingredients before the beans are tender; they can keep skins tough, which is why the vinegar is small and the beans are parboiled first.
Keep the oven low and steady at 300°F (150°C); higher heat reduces the sauce before the beans soften.
Beans older than a year may need extra baking time, so check the beans for tenderness before judging the sauce.

Make ahead

Bake up to 3 days ahead, cool, and refrigerate; the flavor improves overnight. Reheat gently with a splash of water.

Storage & reheating

Room temperature: up to 2 hours. Refrigerator: airtight up to 5 days. Freezer: up to 3 months; thaw overnight in the fridge. Reheat in a covered pot over low heat or in a 325°F (160°C) oven until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C), adding water to loosen.

Substitutions

salt pork → thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces (6 oz / 170 g). Gives a smokier flavor and is less salty; still taste before salting.
dried navy beans → Great Northern or small white beans. Similar texture; Great Northern beans are slightly larger and may need a bit longer.
dry mustard powder → 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard. Stir into the sauce; the flavor is a little tangier.
dark brown sugar → maple syrup (¼ cup / 60 ml). Gives a slightly lighter, less caramel-like sweetness.