Baked Pork and Beans

Recipe makes 4 servings

Whatcha Need:

• 1 cured ham hock
• 1 pound small white beans (see notes)
• 1 medium onion, peeled and diced
• 6 ounces thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 2 large carrots, peeled and diced
• 1 celery ribs, diced
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• cold water
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 ounce panko bread crumbs

Whatcha Do:

1. Soak beans in a large bowl overnight covered with a generous amount of tap water.
2. Drain beans and place them in a large Dutch oven with the onion, bacon, carrot, celery, bay leaf and thyme sprig. Cover by 2 inches of water and bring to a rapid boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 to 2 hours, or until beans are tender. Drain beans into a large bowl, saving both the liquid and vegetables.
3. Preheat oven to 350℉.
4. In the same Dutch oven, spoon half the beans into the pan bottom. Top with the ham hock, then the remaining beans.
5. To the reserved cooking liquid, add the tomato sauce (or ketchup) and pour over the beans, until just covered. Save any remaining liquid in case the beans start to dry out in the oven. Sprinkle half the breadcrumbs over the beans and bake uncovered for two hours. Remove from the oven and sprinkle with remaining half of the breadcrumbs and return to the oven for another 20-25 minutes until brown and bubbly.
6. Let beans cool for 10 minutes, serve and enjoy.

Note:

I suggest purchasing your beans online from Rancho Gordo since they are always from the current harvest and therefore fresh. I would further advise that you check your beans after they have cooked for an hour. While you want them tender, you do not want them falling apart.

If desired, you can chop the cooked onion, celery, carrot, and bacon very fine and mix them into the beans prior to assembling them back into the Dutch oven, as described in step 4. They will provide your pork and beans with even more flavor.