2 to 3 quarts water ¾ c dark molasses
4 c (2 pounds) dried pea beans or ¾ c dark brown sugar
Great Northern beans 1 T dry mustard
1 large onion, peeled, plus 2 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
large onions, peeled and each ½ pound salt pork in one piece,
pierced with 2 whole cloves with rind left on
1 tsp plus 1 T salt
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This recipe was adapted from a recipe in
The Plimoth Colony Cook Book.In a heavy 4- to 5-quart casserole, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the dried beans and boil them for about 2 minutes. (The water should cover the beans by at least 2 inches; if necessary, add more.) Turn off the heat and let the beans soak for 1 hour. Then add the peeled onion and 1 teaspoon of salt and bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat to low and simmer partially covered for about 1 hour, or until the beans are tender. Check them from time to time; add more boiling water if needed. (The beans should be covered with water throughout the cooking.) Drain the beans through a fine sieve set over a bowl, discard the onion and reserve the cooking liquid. There should be about 2 quarts; add water if necessary to make the required amount.
In a deep bowl, mix the molasses, ½ c of the brown sugar, the dry mustard, 1 tablespoon of salt and the pepper. Pour in about ½ cup of the bean liquid and stir to blend the ingredients well. Stir in the remaining bean liquid, then add the beans and stir them gently with a spoon until they are evenly coated.
Preheat the oven to 200°. Place the clove-pierced onions in the bottom of a 4- to 5-quart bean pot and ladle the bean mixture over them. Score the fatty side of the salt pork by making crisscrossing diagonal cuts about ½ inch deep and ½ inch apart all over the surface. Push the salt pork down into the beans, letting only the top edge protrude above them. Cover the pot with a piece of foil and set the lid securely in place.
Bake the beans in the middle of the oven for 7 hours. Then remove the lid and foil, spread the remaining ¼ cup of brown sugar evenly over the beans and bake the beans for 1 hour longer. Serve the beans at once, directly from the pot. Leftover beans may be refrigerated in the same pot; tightly covered with foil or plastic wrap they can safely be kept for a week to 10 days. The beans will absorb the cooking liquid as they stand; add a little water to the pot before reheating them in the oven. Makes about 3 quarts.
