Looking for a recipe for New England style beans? Well I’ve found the perfect one!
The HH and I were at the library on Saturday looking for a little inspiration in the cooking department when I came across Recipes From a Very Small Island by Linda and Martha Greenlaw.
It wasn’t exactly the kind of cookbook I thought was going to help me plow through the 10 million pounds of leftover pork BBQ that was sitting in my fridge, but having read several of Linda’s other books over the years {Lifesaving Lessons, The Lobster Chronicles, Seaworthy, I decided to give it a try.
And the funny thing was, Recipes from a Very Small Island DID IN FACT help me use up about a pound of the leftover BBQ pork we had in the fridge! Once I spotted teh recipe for New England style beans, I was hooked.
I thought I had already found the perfect recipe for baked beans…. but boy was I wrong. This recipe for New England style beans is BY FAR the best baked bean recipe on the planet earth.
The original recipe by Martha Greenlaw calls for a 1/4 pound chunk of salt pork, but since I was trying to use up some leftovers, I added 1 pound of BBQ pork and weenies to the pot. Either way, this recipe, is one you’ll want to try.
And It’s Great For Pot Lucks Too!
Seriously, if you bring this to a pot luck, or a family gathering, or even serve it up for your own family, people will be asking you not only for the recipe, but to make this bean dish again, and again and again.
This recipe for New England style beans… It’s a keeper!
~Mavis
Saturday Night Beans – New England Style
Ingredients
1 pound Navy Beans
1/2 cup Pure Maple Syrup {ours came from Folsom’s}
1/4 cup light brown sugar
2 Tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound assorted leftover BBQ pork and sausages
1 small onion, optional
Boiling water
Instructions
Soak the beans overnight, covered in cold water
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
Drain the beans and place them in a bean pot or a 2 1/2 quart covered casserole dish with the maple syrup, brown sugar, molasses, dry mustard, salt, pepper and meat. The original recipe called for the addition of one small onion, but since we didn’t have any, I didn’t use one. And honestly, I didn’t think I was missing out on anything. But if you want to use one, you would add it to the casserole dish at this time.
Pour enough boiling water over the beans so that you are covering the beans by a 1/2 inch.
Cover the casserole dish, and bake until the beans are almost tender {about 4 – 6 hours}. Check the beans every hour and give them a slow stir, making sure to check that the level of the liquid is not below the beans. If it is, add just enough boiling water to cover the beans.
Once the beans are almost tender {it was the 4 hour mark for me} uncover the dish and cook for an additional 45 -60 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and the beans are tender.
Serve warm with a slice or two of maple syrup cornbread. And the leftovers the next day? Freakin’ AWESOME!
Leanna says
1/2 CUP? of Pure Maple Syrup?
Shari Harniss says
Brunswick stew is also a great way to use up leftover pork roast. I love it! Great childhood memories associated with the stew.
Brenda says
I’ll bet your neighbors can smell the meat when it’s being smoked. Ask a few of them if they like some when HH gets excited and makes too much. I bet some would love it! And this might be a good way to meet more neighbors, too.
Nancy D says
I’m sure you already thought of it…but can you freeze some of the bbq pork for future meals? On another note… My mom and I made ham and bean soup in her insta pot for the first time. We used dry beans and it was done in 45 minutes!
Jayme says
Can you put this in the crockpot?
Debi Kruis says
I put all of my beans in a crock-pot and make very few changes, other than maybe time. Enjoy!
Jenn from ma says
I wonder if I could use the last of my Easter ham in this? I think I’ll try it!
judy says
Mavis, those beans look very tasty. In the fall they would be great paired with brown bread. Yum
Juli Nimitz says
This looks very similar to baked beans with “burnt ends” that a bbq place in Kansas city is famous for. Got to try this recipe as my HH loves them!
jessica says
Do you think the bean recipe would be any good without the meat (we are vegetarian), or is the meat that makes them taste so good?
Mavis Butterfield says
I only made this batch of beans with the 1 pound of leftover BBQ yesterday so I haven’t tried a meatless version yet. If you do try it without meat, let us know how it turns out.
roberta says
These look delicious! Since I’m from the Memphis area originally, I’m jealous of your surplus of actual BBQ. Baked beans in that area almost always have some smoked pork shoulder in them. You’ll also find it used there as a pizza topping, in quesadillas and, of course, on a hamburger bun with coleslaw and hot sauce. If you tire of pork, though, see if you can get the HH to try whole chickens, or pieces on the bone. Rubbed with your favorite seasonings (not as heavily as pork) and brushed occasionally with a mop of butter, vinegar, and whatever else sounds good. Tasty. Or you could go the elegant route with smoked fish. Then there’s always the kind of trashy but delicious hunk of bologna. Don’t laugh, it made it into “The Thrill of the Grill” cookbook by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby. It’s like a smoke sponge. Embrace the smoker.
Cindy Miller says
Those look soooo good. I haven’t made beans in forever. I have the recipe written down and it is going to be Sat. night supper. Thanks.