Does Barbecued food contain Umami? I’m not sure, but these barbecue-ish Boston Baked Beans do have a taste that makes me want to simultaneously smack my lips, say “yummmmm”, smile, and rub my belly in a very contented manner. They really are that delicious and moreish.
I’d like to point out that:
1. They’re cooked with Pork Belly
2. They contain brown sugar AND treacle
3. They are cooked for 4 lovely hours
3. LOOK AT THAT PHOTO
Need I say more? Like I said, just look at them. Dark, sticky, delicious. My mouth is watering.
These beans are one of my all-time favorite things right now. They are sweet, sticky, filling and because they aren’t refined carbohydrates I can kind of kid myself they’re healthy. You can be naughty like me and eat them on their own for lunch (with a beer), or you can be naughty like me and eat them with macaroni cheese and pulled pork for dinner (with a beer). Diet? What diet?
This is another recipe I prepare at lunch time and then squirrel away in oven until it’s needed that evening. The flavours almost intensify overnight so it’s a perfect candidate for making in advance and the only person I know who doesn’t like these beans is Elfie. So she gets the less-umami’d Heinz. Her loss.
Even more appealing, this recipe doesn’t require any sort of ingredient weighing. It’s all tablespoons, teaspoons, and pinches. Which makes me feel like Nigella (with a smaller bosom).
- 500g pork belly, in strips
- 790g tinned white beans (approx - this should be 3 tins), I used Haricot and Cannellini
- 2 bay leaves
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- 3.5 tbsp tomato puree
- 3.5 tbsp brown sugar
- 3 tbsp black treacle
- 2 tbsp Worcester sauce
- 1 diced onion
- good pinch sea salt
- Pre-heat your oven to 140 degrees C
- Chop the pork belly into slices and throw in a large, oven proof saucepan.
- Add all ingredients and mix well.
- Seal the saucepan using tin foil over the top and cover with the lid, making it as airtight as possible.
- Cook for 3 hours.
- Stir well and cook uncovered for another hour.
Oh sweet lord. I think my stomach just tried to leap out of my mouth. MAKING THESE!!
honestly, they are fantastic. One of the best things about them is that they take 4 hours to cook so you have all that time to think about how wonderful they will taste as soon as they’re out of the oven. Sweet anticipation!
I used to make those when I was a housewife and we all loved them. Just me now so too much effort.
I love a good recipe especially in a slow cooker. This looks delicious. Off to scope out some more recipes from you. I am just starting to share my recipes on my blog as my pictures never come out nicely and I suck at writing formal recipe style. It’s more like a conversation of the various ways you can eat the things I make for the whole family. But yours is just lovely. I love food. if only I could eat whatever I wanted whenever I wanted. lol