Quicker Boston Baked Beanscooks Country Food

QUICKER BOSTON BAKED BEANS (COOK'S COUNTRY) RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• *Liquids evaporate faster in the oven in heavy cast-iron Dutch ovens than in lighter pots. If you're using a heavy pot, increase the water to 4 1/2 cups. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water, beans, and baking soda to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer briskly for 20 minutes. Drain beans in colander. Rinse beans and pot. Cook salt pork in now-empty pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in water*, beans, sugar, 1/4 cup molasses, Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are nearly tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and continue to bake until beans are completely tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and remaining 1 teaspoon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Beans can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.) TASTING NOTES: I have a personal preference for more sweet, than savory, when I eat Boston Baked Beans. I added about 1/4 cup honey and 1/4 cup brown sugar to the baked beans. That did it for me!

BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Wash the beans and pick out any bad ones.
• Put beans in a 3- or 4-quart pot and cover well with water.
• Simmer (NOT boil) for about an hour; check occasionally to be sure water doesn't cook away.
• Drain beans and rinse.
• Return to pot.
• Mix together remaining ingredients (except the salt pork) and stir into beans, together with enough water to cover beans well.
• Put beans into a stoneware pot of some kind. A real beanpot, the kind with the two little handles and the narrow neck, is best. Otherwise, any stoneware pot that holds about 3 quarts and has a well-fitting cover will do. They will not taste as good baked in metal, or even pyrex.
• Cut the salt pork into two or three pieces and add to the pot; push pieces down into the beans somewhat.
• Bake at 300 degrees for 6 to 8 hours.
• Check occasionally, and if top is dry, add more water.
• If you want to, you can put some hot dogs or rope sausage such as Hillshire Farms beef sausage in on top of the beans for the last hour or so of baking. The meat cooks at the same time as the beans, and picks up their flavor.
• The right thing to serve with these beans is, of course, Boston Brown Bread, for which I have noticed a couple of recipes here on the Zaar.
• There are two ways to cut down on the time a bit. One is to simmer the beans about 20 minutes longer and then bake them for only about 3 hours. Also, after simmering, you can put the beans in a crockpot. That takes longer-figure about 18 hours to be sure that the beans won't be crunchy-but they can be left unattended.

BIEROCKS(COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• 1. FOR THE FILLING: Heat 2 teaspoons oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add beef, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, breaking up pieces with spoon, until liquid evaporates and meat begins to sizzle, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain meat in colander and set aside.
• 2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to now-empty Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until just beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in drained beef, cabbage, and chicken broth. Bring to simmer, cover, and cook until cabbage is tender, about 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook until liquid evaporates and mixture begins to sizzle, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Transfer to bowl and let cool 15 minutes. Stir in Colby Jack and let cool to room temperature. Refrigerate until ready to assemble bierocks.
• 3. FOR THE DOUGH: Meanwhile, grease large bowl. Combine milk, water, butter, and sugar in 2-cup liquid measuring cup. Microwave until temperature registers 110 degrees, 1 to 2 minutes. Using stand mixer fitted with dough hook, mix 3½ cups flour, yeast, and salt on low speed until combined, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, slowly add milk mixture and single beaten egg until incorporated and dough comes together, about 3 minutes. Increase speed to medium-low and continue to mix until dough is smooth and pulls away from sides of bowl, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes dough looks wet, add remaining ¼ cup flour, 1 tablespoon at a time, until dough clears sides of bowl but sticks to bottom. Transfer dough to greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let rise in warm place until doubled in size, 50 to 60 minutes.
• 4. Adjust oven racks to upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 375 degrees. Line 2 rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper. Transfer dough to lightly floured counter and divide into 12 equal (2¾-ounce) portions. Form dough pieces into balls, cover with plastic, and let rest for 5 minutes.
• 5. Working with 1 dough ball at a time (keep remaining balls covered with plastic), roll out into 5½-inch round with rolling pin. Transfer ½ cup lightly packed filling (3 ounces) to center of round. Use hands to press filling into compact mound. Stretch edges of dough over filling and pinch together to form bun. Arrange 6 bierocks, seam side down, on each prepared baking sheet, 2 inches apart. Cover with plastic and let rise until doubled in size, 45 to 60 minutes.
• 6. Discard plastic, brush bierocks with egg wash, and bake until golden brown, 22 to 25 minutes, switching and rotating sheets halfway through baking. Transfer sheets to wire rack and let cool for 15 minutes. Serve.
• TO MAKE AHEAD: Baked, cooled bierocks can be tightly wrapped in aluminum foil, placed in zipper-lock bag, and refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 1 month. To reheat, adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Place foil-wrapped bierocks directly on oven rack until heated through, about 10 minutes if refrigerated or 60 minutes if frozen.

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:

• Pick through the beans for stones, rinse them thoroughly and soak in water overnight. (Leave soaking until ready to cook; you'll need the water.)
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Place a Dutch oven, 5-quart size or larger, over low heat. Add the salt pork or bacon and fry until crisp, 12 to 15 minutes. Raise heat to medium and stir in the onion. Cook until onion is translucent, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes.
• Add the beans to the pan along with enough of the soaking liquid to cover them by 1/2 inch, adding fresh water if needed. Add the garlic cloves, molasses or maple syrup, ketchup, mustard powder, Worcestershire sauce, 1 teaspoon pepper and the thyme branch and bay leaf, if using. Stir well and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and put in oven.
• Check the liquid level in the pot every hour or so, and add hot water as needed to barely cover the beans. Cook until beans are very soft but not falling apart, 2 to 3 hours. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 teaspoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar; let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes, then taste a bean and some liquid, adding more salt, pepper or vinegar, if you like. Serve, or cool completely and reheat.

QUICK BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Heat oil in a deep non-stick frying pan over medium heat.
• Add bacon and cook for 4 to 5 minutes or until crisp. Remove bacon from pan using a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add onion to frying pan, cook stirring for 3 minutes or until onion is tender and light golden, add garlic and paprika continue to cook stirring for 1 minute.
• Return bacon to frying pan and add the tomatoes, sugar, tomato paste and beans. Cook stirring often for 5 minutes or until heated through.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Split muffins and toast. Spread with butter.
• Place on serving plates and spoon baked beans over the muffins and sprinkle with parsley.

QUICKER BOSTON BAKED BEANS(COOK'S COUNTRY)

Steps:

• 1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 350 degrees. Bring 3 quarts water, beans, and baking soda to boil in Dutch oven over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-high and simmer briskly for 20 minutes. Drain beans in colander. Rinse beans and pot.
• 2. Cook salt pork in now-empty pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until browned, about 10 minutes. Add onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in water, beans, sugar, 1/4 cup molasses, Worcestershire, 1 tablespoon mustard, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Cover, transfer to oven, and cook until beans are nearly tender, about 1 1/2 hours.
• 3. Remove lid and continue to bake until beans are completely tender, about 30 minutes. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon molasses and remaining 1 teaspoon mustard. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve. (Beans can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.).

CHEF JOHN'S BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak navy beans overnight in a large bowl with enough water by several inches. Drain and place beans into a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with 6 cups water, baking soda, and bay leaf. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and boil for 10 minutes. Drain, saving bean-cooking liquid.
• Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Transfer beans into clean Dutch oven and stir bacon, onion, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, and black pepper into beans. Pour enough of the hot reserved bean liquid in to cover beans; stir.
• Cover Dutch oven and bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. Check liquid level and add more of the reserved bean liquid to bring liquid up to cover beans. Return to oven and continue baking until beans are tender and almost all the liquid has been absorbed, about 1 hour.
• Raise oven heat to 350; bake beans uncovered in oven until top develops a flavorful crust, 20 to 30 more minutes.