Boston Baked Beans - Cooks Illustrated

Published January 1, 2003.

What sets great baked beans apart from the Boston tourist variety?

The Problem

Even here in Boston, it has become rare to find Boston baked beans in their slow-cooked glory, while uninspired canned varieties abound.

The Goal

To create a recipe packed with multiple levels of intense flavor yet traditional enough to make Fannie Farmer proud.

The Solution

Start with a combination of salt pork and bacon browned in a Dutch oven before adding dried small white beans. Add brown mustard and mild molasses at the beginning, and finish with cider vinegar for a bit of tanginess and an additional tablespoon of molasses to boost the flavor. Cook at 300 degrees for five hours, removing the lid for the last hour to reduce the sauce to a syrupy, intensified state that perfectly naps the beans.

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Boston Baked Beans

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