Boston Baked Bean Gratin Recipes

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak the beans in cold water overnight in a large container. Drain in a colander.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. In a small saucepan, combine molasses, mustard, brown sugar, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, pepper, and 5 cups water. Bring to a boil, and whisk until the sugar has dissolved. Stud the onion halves with the cloves, and place in the bottom of a terra-cotta bean pot or Dutch oven.
• Score the salt pork 1/4 inch deep 1 inch apart, and slice into two even pieces. Transfer to the bean pot. Add the soaked beans. Pour the molasses mixture over beans, stir, and cover. The liquid should cover the beans by 1/2 inch. Add more water if necessary.
• Transfer to oven to bake, without stirring, until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 6 hours. Check the beans every 45 minutes, adding more hot water if necessary to keep beans slightly soupy at all times. For the last 50 to 60 minutes of cooking, uncover beans, and, using tongs or a long fork, pull the pork to the surface. Remove from oven, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary. Serve.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS IN BEAN POT - DURGIN-PARK

Steps:

• NOTE: Use navy beans, California pea beans, or small white beans.
• Soak beans overnight.
• In the morning, preheat oven to 325°F Place the baking soda in a Dutch oven and fill half way with water.
• Bring to a boil, add the beans & boil for 10 minutes.
• Drain beans in a colander and run cold water through them. Set aside.
• Dice the salt pork (available in the bacon section of the grocery store)into 1-inch squares.
• Put half of the salt pork on the bottom of the bean pot, along with the onion.
• Put beans in the pot.
• Put the remaining salt pork on top of the beans.
• Mix the sugar, molasses, mustard, salt and pepper with 3 cups of hot water and pour over the beans.
• Cover pot with lid and place the pot into the preheated oven.
• Bake for 6 hours.
• Check pot periodically to make sure the amount of liquid is okay.
• Add water to the beans slowly as needed to keep them moist; DO NOT FLOOD THEM. Just "top them up".
• Remove the pot from the oven and serve.
• NOTE: The Durgin-Park, a Boston restaurant whose origins date back to the American Revolution, is famous for its Boston baked beans, baked Indian pudding and apple pan dowdy. Durgin-Park cook Tommy Ryan has prepared this recipe at the restaurant for the past 37 years.
• Durgin-Park serves 1,000 diners on an average Saturday evening. The waitresses have a reputation for their long memories: the second time you come in, you get the same thing you ordered the first time--unless you speak fast.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse in cold water. Place beans in a 3- or 4-qt. slow cooker; add 4 cups water. Cover and let stand overnight., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to slow cooker; add salt pork., In a small bowl, combine the onion, brown sugar, molasses, sugar, mustard, salt, cloves, pepper and remaining water. Pour mixture over beans; stir to combine., Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or until beans are tender.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water until tender, approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
• Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with bacon and onion.
• In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
• Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

BOSTON BAKED BEAN GRATIN

Steps:

• In a 7- to 8-inch flameproof skillet cook bacon over moderate heat until crisp and spoon off all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onion and cook, stirring, until softened. Stir in tomatoes, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, red pepper flakes, beans, and salt to taste and simmer until liquid is thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Preheat broiler.
• In a small bowl stir together oil and mustard and add crumbs, tossing to combine ingredients well. Sprinkle crumbs over beans and broil about 4 inches from heat until topping is crisp and golden, 1 to 2 minutes.