Friday, October 26, 2007

New England Baked Beans

1 pound dried navy beans, rinsed well
1 medium onion
4 ounces salt pork
1/4 cup dark molasses
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground mustard seed or dry mustard

Have on hand a soup pot and a bean pot or 2-quart Dutch oven with lid.

Discard any broken beans. In a large bowl, combine the beans and water to cover them by 2 inches. Set aside to soak overnight.

Drain the beans, rinse them, and transfer them to the soup pot. Add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, cover the pot, and simmer for 1 hour.

Set the oven at 300 degrees.

Drain the beans and transfer them to the pot or Dutch oven.

Peel and score the onion. Push the onion and salt pork into the beans.

In a bowl, combine the molasses, brown sugar, salt, and mustard seed or dry mustard. Fill the pot with water to cover the beans by 2 inches. Cover the pot and transfer to the oven.

Cook the beans for 4 hours, checking occasionally to make sure they have enough liquid. Add water if necessary, to keep the beans covered.

During the last hour, remove the lid from the beans and continue cooking to reduce the liquid. Serve with brown bread and franks.

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