American
Classic Baked Beans
Slow-baked navy beans and salt pork in a glossy, savory molasses-mustard sauce balanced with cider vinegar.
10 servings · 30 minutes prep · 300 minutes cook
Ingredients
Beans and Pork
- 1 lb dried navy beans, sorted and rinsed
- 10 cups cold water, for soaking
- 1 tbsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt, for the soaking water; plus more only after tasting
- 6 oz salt pork, rind removed; rinsed well; cut into 1/2-inch / 12-mm pieces; blanch 2 minutes and drain first if heavily cured
- 1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/4-inch / 6-mm dice
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 bay leaf
Molasses-Mustard Sauce
- 1/3 cup unsulfured molasses, not blackstrap
- 1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar, divided
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Soak and Tenderize the Beans
- Put the navy beans in a large bowl with the 10 cups cold water and kosher salt. Cover and refrigerate for 8-12 hours. Drain in a colander and rinse thoroughly under cool water.
- Transfer the soaked beans to a Dutch oven and cover with fresh water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil, reduce to a gentle simmer, and cook partially covered until several beans are creamy all the way through but still hold their shape, 75-105 minutes. Add hot water as needed to keep them submerged. Reserve 3 cups|720 ml cooking liquid, then drain the beans.
Build the Savory Base
- Heat the oven to {{temperature:300F}}. If the salt pork is heavily cured or tastes aggressively salty, blanch it in simmering water for 2 minutes and drain well. Return the Dutch oven to medium heat, add the pork, and cook until it has rendered fat and browned lightly at the edges, 8-10 minutes. Add the yellow onion and cook until soft and translucent, 7-9 minutes; add the garlic for the final 30 seconds.
- Whisk the molasses, dark brown sugar, ketchup, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, half the apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika, and black pepper with 2 cups|480 ml reserved bean liquid. Add the drained beans and bay leaf, then fold gently until evenly coated. The liquid should barely cover the beans; add more reserved liquid if needed.
Bake, Reduce, and Rest
- Bring the pot just to a simmer, cover, and bake for 2 hours. Uncover, stir gently, and continue baking until the beans are deeply mahogany and the sauce is glossy but still slightly looser than the desired serving consistency, 60-90 minutes. Check every 30 minutes and add reserved bean liquid in 1/2-cup|120-ml portions if the top or edges begin to dry.
- Remove and discard the bay leaf. Stir in the remaining apple cider vinegar, then taste before adding any salt. Rest uncovered for 20 minutes so the sauce settles and thickens around the beans. For leftovers, divide into shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours for up to 4 days.
