Ben's Boston Baked Beans - a recipe to try before it's too late

I’m sure it’s frightfully un-English, but I don’t go in for much of this ‘fretting about the weather’ nonsense.

Sometimes it’s hot, sometimes it’s cold, sometimes it rains, occasionally it snows. Big fucking deal. And it annoys me when people start faffing about with different clothing’n’shit according to the season, which are approximate guidelines at best anyway. 

'Ooh, I've got to take some long sleeves just in case it gets nippy'... 'I'll put it in my bag because they say it's going to be hot on Sunday'... 'I can't wear those shoes, it's only March!'... Silly, faffing twats.

No, I just wear the same clothes all year round, just with a jacket on top between about October and April. Easy.

I have no strong preference for either rain or shine or hot or cold climates (apart from an enjoyment of brisk, overcast mornings when the heavenly canvas is a consistent off-white as far as the eye can see, and it feels like the world has fallen out of the sky, obviously) but food is a slightly different beast.

'Tis the season

There are, it has to be said, some sorts of food that do just taste better when it’s cold, and others that are cut out for balmy, Summer days.

There aren’t many, mind. Most dishes can be happily consumed all year round, and don’t let anybody tell you any different, but in the case of rich, hearty stews and casseroles, and indeed Ben’s Boston Baked Beans, what I done cooked last night, you really want to be enjoying them now, before the cold weather runs out!

I first published my BBB recipe on the anchovy fans Facebook group, which remains to this day the only food group I’ve set up whose membership has actually expanded significantly.

In goes the beer - only a few hours to go!

Yes, it contains anchovies. Baked beans with anchovies, pork, maple syrup and various other seemingly incongruous ingredients.

Like most stew recipes, it's incredibly flexible. I used haricot and borlotti beans last night, but you can substitute with maybe cannelini or black-eyed beans if you prefer. You could even use a tin of normal 'baked beans' in an emergency, though the results aren't as good and you don't want to dilute your sauce with Mr. Heinz variety.

Be aware that to enjoy this dish at it's best, you need to cook it for a minimum of two hours, ideally substantially longer!

Ben's Boston Baked Beans

Ingredients - makes four decent servings

Haricot Beans, one tin, drained
Borlotti Beans, one tin, drained
Belly of pork, about half a pound or 4-5 big rashers, cut into bite-sized chunks

Smoked bacon, about 6 rashers, as above

Anchovy fillets, a few

Onions, a couple large or a few small, chopped

Tomatoes, about 6 average size, chopped

Red Pepper, a large one, chopped
Chestnut mushrooms, a few, chopped

Garlic

Cumin

Chilli Powder 

Wholegrain Mustard 
Worcestershire Sauce

Tabasco  

Maple Syrup  

Black pepper 

Paprika

Dark Beer - old ale, stout or porter

Method

Take a big pan with a lid, and heat the excess oil from your anchovy fillets (not the fish, just the oil), and use it to brown your pork. After a few minutes add the bacon, onions, garlic and cumin - you want the pork fat to go crispy and the onions to start caramelising. Towards the end of this process, put your peppers and anchovies in there too.

Once it's all basically cooked (though not overcooked), you chuck in the beans and everything else and mix it all up. The quantities will depend on your personal taste - for a sweeter sauce, more maple syrup, for a hotter version, more tabasco etc.

The important thing is that you put the lid on and cook the whole thing on a very low heat for at least a couple of hours. If it ever gets too dry, add a little more beer.

If you've got the balance right, it will all reduce to a delicious thick, sticky sauce that's sweet and salty and hot in just the right ratios (which, to some extent, you can determine). The beans and pork will have absorbed the flavours, and you've got some fucking excellent food right there.

You could transfer the whole thing to a casserole and cook in the oven if you prefer. Or even cook in a straw box, or underground, or whatever slow-cooking method you prefer.

Once it's done, you can eat it on it's own, or maybe with a large baked potato, or some fresh sourdough bread. It's all good. If you've got some left over the next day it will still be nice when re-heated, so buy some chips from the chip shop and pour the beans on top, why don't you?

To drink with it - almost anything. Maybe some of the beer you used?