Brahman Boston Baked beans
To celebrate memorial day, we are bringing you a series of regional recipes from across the USA. Here are Brahman Boston Baked beans. Boston of famous for baked beans as one may glean from the moniker: bean town. When the Pilgrims met the Natives in New England they learned of this delicacy. The local Indigenous people made cornbread and baked beans. The pilgrims adapted their recipes by adding in molasses used in the local rum trade. And, they added barley to the cornbread to create Boston Brown Bread. Baked beans could be started on Saturday and eaten Sunday. And, they caught on as a regional dish. With so many people eating beans all the time, it’s a wonder that Chicago, not Boston, earned the name, “The windy city.” And, despite the song, Beans are not a fruit.
They are a hearty meal in and of themselves. Or served in traditional Boston fashion with hot dogs and brown bread. Baked beans have been adapted to different regions throughout the country and the world. They are a staple with barbecue in some areas of the south and elsewhere. They will go nicely with our brats and beer. And, they are a great dish for memorial day, since they were among the staples soldiers carried during the Civil war. Baked beans literally fueled the war (and made for a stinky encampment) And, don’t forget the cowboys expanding the country to the west.
Table of Contents
Brahman Boston Baked beans were once a hit on Beacon hill
But, baked beans were by no means a lowly food. Some of the wealthiest people on Beacon hill would enjoy baked beans as part of their Sunday Brunch or Saturday night rituals. Modern day restaurants in Boston have turned to other fare, and beans no longer describe the city. Although, we still have the beanpot championship in college hockey. But, it was a standard meal for the Cabots, Lowells, and others of the Boston Brahman class. The old traditions may have wained. But, even Beacon hill elites will still indulge in a pot of beans on occasion. hence the name: Brahman Boston Baked beans.
Today, everyone puts a spin on every dish. We decided to play this one pretty straight. It is memorial day. So, we want people to remember what it was like for the development of this country. Everything from the pilgrim’s first settlement to the expansion of the country and unification through the civil war has involved baked beans. It is one dish that traverses class and societal barriers. So, celebrate with a pot today.
Brahman Boston Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 1 cup Dry Navy Beans
- 1 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
- 1 cup Diced Sweet Onion
- 1 Tbsp Chopped fresh garlic
- 2 each Bay leaves
- 1 each cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp Ground allspice
- 1 cup chopped fresh bacon (for vegetarian version use bacon substitute)
- 1/2 cup molasses
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup brandy
- Water to cover
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Instructions
- Soak the beans in water overnight. They should at least double in volume
- In a heavy gauge pot, render the bacon until the fat is liquid and bacon is browned. Add in butter. Melt that and stir in the onion, garlic, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick, Stir and cook until translucent.
- Drain the beans. Add into the pot and stir. Add in the brandy and cook down to cook off the alcohol.
- Add in the rest of the ingredients (except salt and pepper) and cover beans in water. The water should be 1 to 2 inches above the level of beans. Bring to a boil. Then turn back to a low simmer. Cover the pot.
- Allow the beans to simmer at a low temperature for about 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Check them periodically to make sure the water hasn't evaporated or that the beans are still to hard.
- After about 2 hours, the beans should be soft enough to eat, but not falling apart. The liquid should be a coating, less than a soup, but more than a glaze. Remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stcks. Season with salt and pepper and serve. You can hold this for up to a week in refrigeration or longer in the freezer.