This baked bean recipe takes some time to make

This baked bean recipe takes some time to make
Amanda Daniels

Durgin Park bean pot

                        

I’ve mentioned this place several times before, but I hope you will forgive this last nod to the now-defunct ancient Durgin Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Even before the pandemic began roving the country, killing off venerable old restaurants, not to mention fun newer places like Dave & Buster’s, Durgin Park went belly up last year after a couple of centuries of feeding hungry Bostonian working men and women.

Theodore Roosevelt ate there, and so did more than 1,000 diners on any given Saturday night. But it is no more, and the bits have been auctioned.

I’ve been on the hunt for a bean pot from there. Because if you’re going to do a pot of authentic Boston baked beans, you have to have the right pot, and I wanted one that tourists could buy at the site. I used to have one, which I bought after gorging there one night, but I don’t any more, and that’s a story for another time.

Finally, a Durgin Park bean pot, with no cracks and with the lid, came my way at a great price. It’ll not only make beans but should work for making brined pickles, Indian pudding and other dishes needing crockery to accomplish. It’s the big one among several possible sizes, also a bonus.

The recipe for Boston baked beans here is the genuine Durgin Park article, provided by the owners in a complimentary handout, along with recipes for the aforementioned pudding and the house apple pie.

This recipe takes some time to make, as it cooks slowly in the oven for a solid six hours. Could you do this in a slow cooker? I suppose you could, if you wanted the angels to weep. You could certainly use any heavy enameled cast iron dutch oven, and there would be less weeping.

I’ve seen many bean pots at thrift stores and antique shops for pocket change, and that’s your best bet for slow heating and authenticity. If you take these to a pot luck, the bean pot will be far more impressive than a slow cooker. Plop it down next to Margaret’s foil pan of taco dip and put on your best smug face.

Why bother making baked beans from scratch when there are cheap cans of them at the store? Because these are much better, with a caramelized flavor and slight top crustiness with black spots here and there — the real deal.

If you can’t find salt pork, bacon is fine. It’s worth the time to start with dried beans and precook them after a good soak.

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

1 pound, about 3 1/2 cups, dried navy beans

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 pound salt pork or unsliced bacon

1 small onion, peeled and left whole

4 tablespoons sugar

1/3 cup molasses

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Soak the beans in plenty of water in a large bowl overnight. Remember they will expand as they rehydrate.

The next day, preheat oven to 325 F.

Place the beans in a large pan on the stovetop and fill halfway with water. Add the baking soda, then bring to a boil, cooking for 10 minutes.

Drain the beans in a strainer or colander and rinse with cold water for a minute or so. Set aside.

Cut salt pork or bacon into 1-inch cubes. Place half the pork or bacon on the bottom of a clay bean pot and the onion in the center. Add the beans, then the rest of the pork. Mix the sugar, molasses, dry mustard, and salt and pepper with 3 cups water and pour over everything in the pot.

Cover the pot with the lid and place in the oven. Bake for 6 hours at 325 F, being careful to check the liquid level periodically. Add small amounts of water as needed. Don’t flood the beans.


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