Oven Baked Beans

These are proper New England-style baked beans, the kind that take all day in a low oven and reward your patience with a thick, sticky, almost caramelized pot of beans that no canned version can touch.

Navy beans soak overnight, get a quick simmer, then bake covered with salt pork, molasses, brown sugar, dry mustard, and a whole onion. The oven does the rest over four to five hours, slowly rendering the salt pork fat into the beans while the molasses and sugar reduce into a dark, glossy sauce.

That whole onion buried in the beans practically melts by the end, sweetening the pot from the inside out. It’s a classic Yankee trick that adds depth without any extra effort.

Pro Tips

• Soak the beans the full overnight. The 15-minute simmer after soaking isn’t enough to fully cook them, just enough to start the process before the long bake finishes the job.
• Use the bean cooking liquid as directed. It’s starchy and flavorful, and it thickens into the sauce during baking. Don’t dump it.
• Check the liquid level at the halfway mark. If the beans look dry, add a splash of hot water. They should be barely covered, not swimming.
• Score the salt pork in a crosshatch pattern before adding it so the fat renders more evenly into the beans.

Variations

• Add a few strips of thick-cut bacon on top for a smokier, crispier finish.
• Stir in a tablespoon of ketchup or tomato paste with the molasses for a tangier, Boston-style variation.
• Use maple syrup instead of molasses for a lighter, more delicate sweetness.