Best Boston Baked Bean Gratin Recipes

NEW ENGLAND BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Sort beans and rinse with cold water. Place beans in a Dutch oven; add enough water to cover by 2 in. Bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand for 1 hour or until beans are softened., Drain and rinse beans, discarding liquid. Return beans to Dutch oven; add 6 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 1 hour or until beans are almost tender., In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels with a slotted spoon; drain, reserving 2 tablespoons drippings. Saute onions in drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the ketchup, brown sugar, molasses, syrup, Worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper., Drain beans, reserving cooking liquid; place in an ungreased 3-qt. baking dish. Stir in onion mixture and bacon. Cover and bake at 300° for 2-1/2 hours or until beans are tender and reach desired consistency, stirring every 30 minutes. Add reserved cooking liquid as needed.

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 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.

CLASSIC BOSTON BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Soak beans in cold water to cover overnight in a large bowl. Drain in a colander.
• Heat oven to 300 degrees. Arrange onions in the bottom of a bean pot or Dutch oven. Top, working in order, beginning with tomatoes, and continuing with bay leaves, dry mustard, cloves, brown sugar, and salt and pepper. Add soaked beans and pour over molasses. Top evenly with salt pork. Add 5 cups water and cover.
• Transfer to oven and bake, without stirring, until the beans are tender and the liquid has thickened, about 6 hours. Check the beans every 45 minutes, adding hot water, if necessary, to keep beans slightly soupy at all times. Remove from oven, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, if necessary, before serving.

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.