New England baked beans recipe

Traditionally, New England baked beans were cooked in crocks in dying ovens or ember-filled holes in the ground, where the beans could slowly turn tender overnight. To re-create this gentle cooking environment, we turned to our heavy Dutch oven and a low oven, which surrounded the beans with even, ambient heat. Brining the beans overnight helped jump-start hydration and also softened their skins so they cooked up tender, with few blowouts. Uncovering the pot for the last hour of cooking ensured that the liquid reduced sufficiently to coat the beans in a thick sauce. Molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, bay leaf, onion, and salt pork, plus one nontraditional ingredient (soy sauce), gave the beans rich flavor. You’ll get fewer blowouts if you soak the beans overnight, but if you’re pressed for time, you can quick-salt-soak your beans: In step 1, bring the salt, water, and beans to a boil in the Dutch oven. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and let sit for 1 hour. Drain and rinse the beans and proceed with step 2.