Franks and beans are as much of a tradition in New England as attending the Magic of Christmas celebration at Portland’s Merrill Auditorium. I’ve only gone once to that wonderful extravaganza, but baked beans have a much larger meaning for me. For one I’ve not been a great baked-beans cook. I usually add too much liquid and over- or under-cook the beans—basically it’s not my culinary métier. Though I’ve found that the recipe on the back of the State of Maine beans package sold in local supermarkets is a classic, standard recipe that works well. But this go round last Saturday night, I used a recipe that was one of those wonderful hand-me-down formulas–often the hallmark of great home cooking. I found it in Linda Greenlaw’s wonderful book, Cooking on a Very Small Island–chockful of regional recipes that are so good.
Baked Bean Supper
Every time I use the book, though, I’m reminded of a snarky remark from a former Portland specialty bookseller. I went in there one day to look for Greenlaw’s new book, The Maine Summer Cookbook, and when I inquired about it he snarled, “Oh, we don’t carry that kind of book that,” as though it were a tome on the rape of Sabine women.
The difference with Greenlaw’s recipe, one which her mother made on Saturdays, is that it’s made with maple syrup in addition to the usual sweeteners like molasses and sugar. I cut back a little on the molasses and added a gurgle or two of sorghum molasses, the southern staple that’s always in my cupboard.
The rest of the meal was pan sautéed franks with onions, Cole slaw (a Waldorf salad is traditional, too), biscuits and pecan pie for dessert. Wow what a comfort food meal beyond compare!
Beans, franks, Cole slaw and biscuits
As it turned out a friend needed just that kind of comfort. She was planning on a weekend trip to New York for theater and dining and had to cancel because she had slipped on the ice the night before and stayed home to gimp around. She asked, “Could you cook dinner for me?”
I said I can do better than that since the beans were already in the oven by 7 in the morning. But there was a power outage in Portland last Saturday and my oven was powerless for several hours. I brought the beans over to her house to cook slowly for the next 6 to 7 hours while I prepped the rest of the dinner at home.
It was a fine meal indeed and one that I just might make regularly on Saturdays in winter.
This was adapted from “Cooking on a Very Small Island” by Linda Greenlaw. It calls for pea beans or yellow eyes, Jacob’s cattle or Great Northern. I used Marfax, the bean favored by Aroostook cooks. It has a more intense bean flavor and rich texture. It’s available at shops selling local foods or at farmers markets.
Ingredients
- I pound marfax, pea or navy beans
- 1/2 cup Maine maple syrup
- 1/4 cup packed light-brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons molasses
- 1 tablespoon sorghum (optional)
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small onion, peeled
- 1/4 pound chunk salt pork
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
- Drain the beans (no need to save the water) and put into a 2 1/2 quart bean pot or covered casserole. In a small bowl mix together the maple syrup, molasses, brown sugar, mustard, salt and pepper. Moistened with a tablespoon or two of boiling water, which will help dissolve the ingredients.
- Pour over the beans and mix well. Add the onion and salt pork, making sure the onion is slightly below he level of the beans. Add enough boiling water to cover the beans by 1/2 inch.
- Bake, covered, for 6 or more hours, checking after the first several hours to make sure the liquid is not below the beans. Add more boiling water just to cover. When the beans are thoroughly tender, uncover the pot and cook for an additional 45 to 60 minutes until the beans are tender and a rich brown and the sauce is lightly thickened.
