Beans- They're Back!

Baked beans. Feves au lard. Bines. They were a food staple that came across the border with our ancestors during the migration period, and have played a role in our culture and identity since. Like many aspects of our culture, it’s one that’s faded over the years. A pot of beans in our grandparents oven gave way to canned beans in a saucepan on our parents stovetop. The flavors weren’t the same and, as a culinary trend across the county, they fell out of style. Of course, in keeping with another trend around the county- all things old become cool again- they're back! 

With the trends in barbecuing, grilling and smoking, beans have re-emerged as one of the quintessential side dishes of day long cookouts. They may not be our grandparents' beans from those Sunday dinners or church basement suppers, but they’re worth our attention. 

How have they remained the same? They’re a process. The soaking, simmering, and baking is still a lengthy process and there are a lot of added ingredients. The core ingredients are still dried beans (usually navy) salty pork, onion, brown sugar and a sauce that simmers down to a delicious hearty consistency. 

If you’re lucky enough to still have your family recipe, you’ll probably see a hefty chunk of salt pork as a core ingredient. This not only flavors the beans but helps prevent boil over. Salt pork, however, is one of those products from yesteryear that’s been slow to make a comeback. More frequently seen today is salt pork’s hip, trendy cousin bacon. Overall, not a bad trade-off unless you’re a traditionalist.

The sweeteners are where we can see the most change.  Brown sugar still comes into play in most recipes today, but there’s also molasses. Perhaps it would be more appropriate to say there was molasses. Like the salt pork, this one’s fallen out of culinary trends in favor of more modern options. Yes, it’s still there in many cases, but it used to fall into the staple category. What are people sweetening up beans with today? Everything from white cane sugar to artificial syrups.

That brings us to the saucy goodness that gives baked beans so much of their character. This traditionally came from the simmering water, the sweeteners and some natural thickening from the beans. Today, we often see the addition of the popular condiment ketchup. This appears to be an option that popped up in place of, or in addition to, molasses as we moved further away from the Northeast.  We can spot ketchup in today's recipes across Quebec, however that's a more modern addition as is the case here in the US.

Finally, what may be simmering in many of the minds of those reading this is “what about maple syrup?!?!?” Yes, we’ll find that in many recipes from generation to generation, and yes, that’s included in my own experimentation.  

I say experimentation as I don’t have a family recipe.  I loved my grandmother’s baked beans, but sadly that was a recipe we never got from her before she passed. As a result, I experiment with traditional style ingredients hoping to find the right combination. Here are a few observations I’ve made along the way.

Get the right cookware. Previous generations used a specialty bean pot, however a Dutch oven or any oven safe stock pot with a heavy lid will do the trick. I’m not a fan of the disposable aluminum pans often used today. My suspicion is that those are often used for shorter term cooking processes using canned beans which have been seasoned up and only need to be heated through.  

Core ingredients are something that shouldn't be changed. If you want to adjust seasonings or sweeteners, that’s up to you. I won't judge those who use more modern flavorings, but leave the core ingredients alone.

Finally, it’s a process that takes practice. Rushing or inattention can the lead to anything from a cauldron of mush to a dried out crusty mass. The basics of it are this: Dried beans should be soaked overnight then simmered prior to baking. The beans will be ready when they can be mashed between the finger and thumb. After mixing in whatever ingredients are preferred, they’ll then be covered and slowly baked for several hours at a low to medium temperature. Checking the consistency about an hour prior to completion, we can adjust moisture levels by adding water and/or leaving the lid off. 

I would love to have written a more concise description, from ingredients to equipment to process. However these are things, as mentioned, that I didn’t get to inherit. The good news is that if you’re in the same situation, the experiment can be fun.

Beans are back and we can make them as traditional or modern as we like. I’m hoping you’ll choose something more traditional since we’re talking about our heritage. Again, I won't judge, but I really hope you’re going with the full process and not simply opening a can!