INGREDIENTS

2 pounds small navy pea beans
(you can use the same recipe using kidney beans)
12 oz. salt pork
1 large diced onion
3/4 cup of brown sugar
(a great variant is to use 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead, or half & half)
3/4 cup of molasses
1/2 teaspoon of dry mustard
6 bay leaves
4 quarts of water

Directions

Start by cutting a small hole in the bag containing the beans and slowly let them drop in to a container while carefully watching for any small stones that may be in with the beans. Discard stones :).

Then put the beans and the 6 bay leaves in to a large saucepan or pot with the 4 quarts of water and rapidly par boil for 3 minutes. Turn the heat off and let soak for about an hour.

(Many true Bostonians swear that the only way to soak the beans is to place beans in cold water and soak the beans overnight instead!)

Cut the salt pork in to 1/2 inch strips.

Following the soak period, use a perforated spoon to transfer the beans from the liquid in the soaking pot to either a crock-pot or an official Boston Baked Beans porcelain bean pot (see photo).

(Die-hards swear by the porcelain bean pot method as the only real way to make Boston Baked Beans)

As you transfer to beans to the cooking pot, create two or three layers of beans, salt port, chopped onions, molasses, brown sugar and mustard. Finally, use a ladle to transfer enough of the remaining liquid to cover the beans in the pot. If using the crock-pot method, cook on high heat for about 3 hours and then on low heat for another 4 hours.

If using the official Boston Baked Bean Pot method, cover and place in an over at 325 degrees for about 5 to 7 hours, or 86 years - whichever comes first.

You may need to add water occasionally to keep the beans moist.

That's it. If you're like me after about 4 hours of cooking, the aroma of the beans really tempts me to sample the project.

No problem! Kinda like the development of a good design. You gotta test along the way!!!

Enjoy!

Editor's Note: Hal Barbour says, "Here's my recipe for Boston Baked Beans - from a transplanted New Englander, now living in New Jersey. It's impossible to hide my glee at the demise of the curse!"