Boston Baked Beans

By norsegal8

Ingredients

• 4 ounces salt pork, trimmed of rind and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 2 ounces bacon (2 slices), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
• 1 medium onion, chopped fine
• 1/2 cup mild molasses
• 1 tablespoon mild molasses
• 1 1/2 tabespoon brown mustard
• 1 lb. small dried white beans, rinsed and picked over
• table salt
• 1 teaspoon cider vinegar

Preparation

Step 1

Adjust the oven rack to the lower-middle position. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

Add the salt pork and bacon to an 8-quart Dutch oven; cook, over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and most fat is rendered, about 7 minutes. Add the onion and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes.

Add 1/2 cup molasses, mustard, beans, 1 1/4 teaspoon salt and 9 cups water. Increase the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and set in the oven.

Bake until the beans are tender, about 4 hours, stirring once after 2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to bake until the liquid has thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours longer.

Remove the beans from the oven. Stir in the additional molasses, vinegar and additional salt and pepper to taste.

*The beans can be made ahead of time. After cooking, cool them to room temperature and refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 4 days.