Boston Baked Beans

Total Time: 5 hrs 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 5 hrs

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 lb dried navy beans or 1 lb dried great northern beans, rinsed and picked over
• 2 medium onions, 1 peeled and left whole and 1 chopped
• 1/4 lb salt lamb, diced
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 bay leaf

Recipe

• 1 soak the beans overnight in water to cover by 3 inches. or, alternatively: place the beans in a saucepan with water to cover by 2 inches; bring to a boil and boil for 2 minutes; remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 1 hour.
• 2 drain the beans and place them in a large saucepan with 8 cups of water. bring the beans to a boil over medium-high heat. add the whole onion, reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, until beans are half tender, about 30 minutes. drain the beans and discard the onion.
• 3 meanwhile, in a small saucepan of boiling water, blanch the salt lamb for 3 minutes. drain and set aside.
• 4 preheat the oven to 250 degrees fahrenheit.
• 5 in a bowl, combine the chopped onion with the molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, salt, pepper, and cloves. stir in 2 cups of water.
• 6 place the beans and reserved salt lamb in a 2 1/2-quart casserole or bean pot. add the bay leaf. pour the onion-molasses mixture over the beans. cover tightly and bake for 3 1/2 hours.
• 7 remove the cover, stir the beans, and continue baking, uncovered, for 30 minutes longer, discard the bay leaf before serving.