How to Make Stovetop Baked Beans Recipe
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My sister prides herself in being a baked bean connoisseur – it’s on her Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn profile. At every potluck or barbeque, she will stock up her plate with baked beans (how long di baked beans last?) and the steak or chicken becomes the accompaniment.
I once asked her why she loved baked beans so much, her response was that they were ‘economical, easy and elegant’. When she ranted in alliteration, I knew she was serious.
But if there’s something she loves more than baked beans, it’s baked beans made from scratch – with dry beans. And here I agree with her. Canned beans are delicious, don’t get me wrong, but they don’t have the same depth and complexity of flavors that dry beans, simmered for hours with onion and garlic (What wine goes well with garlic?), do.
They’re also economical, and you can alter the seasoning and texture of the beans to your liking. Jack was right, beans are magical!
This stovetop baked beans recipe, as you must have guessed by now, uses dry beans. And while it takes a little more time and effort, in exchange, you get richly flavorful beans cooked to perfect tenderness, and which are tangy, savory, and sweet all at once. They're a classic barbeque side and pair deliciously well with these fall-off the bone BBQ ribs and tender lamb burgers.
Will Stovetop Baked Beans Become Mushy if Cooked For Too Long?
Sugar and calcium hinder the conversion of pectin (glue between cells) which prevents the beans from tenderizing. Hence these baked beans, or the Boston style baked beans, made with molasses (how long does molasses last?), can simmer away in the gravy for hours and will still not turn mushy.
On the same note, when boiling canned beans, do not use hard water. Hard water contains calcium which will prevent the beans from softening.
Storing or Freezing Leftover Baked Beans
If they are kept correctly, baked beans may remain edible for up to six months after being frozen. The beans should be cooled to room temperature, placed in a container that can withstand freezing temperatures and has a cover that fits tightly, and then placed in the refrigerator for a few hours to ensure that they are completely chilled.
Once the beans have been thoroughly chilled, put them in a container, affix a date that indicates when they should be used, and then store the container in the freezer. When ready to use the frozen baked beans, let them defrost in the refrigerator for at least one day.
After completely defrosting, the beans should be reheated in a skillet over low heat on the stovetop or in the microwave on the lowest setting, with occasional stirring, until they are hot throughout.
What Type of Beans Can Be Used?
Traditional pig and bean dishes often call for white beans, specifically Navy beans (how long do navy beans last?). Use either navy beans, great northern beans (how long do great northern beans last?), or cannellini beans (how long do cannellini beans last?) in place of the pinto beans (how long does pinto beans last?) called for in this easy baked beans recipe if you like the finished dish to have a white bean texture.
In meals, canned baked beans white texture provide a rich and creamy flavor with a distinct earthy and meaty undertone. Ideal for a quick and simple recipe for baked beans!
Which Type of Pork Should Be Used?
First, a word or two about the pork, and then I'll go into the specifics of how to make the beans. Salt pork is the traditional piece of meat for this dish. Salt pork is the slab of thick fat that runs down the back of a pig and is salted and cured. The beans will take on an unmistakably porky taste, but there are a few pitfalls that you must avoid.
To begin, if you use a piece of salt pork that is entirely composed of fat and does not include even a single strip of muscle, you may want to reduce the amount significantly. If you don't, you risk getting some extremely fatty beans, which are OK if you're a lumberjack but not so wonderful in any other situation.
Second, some of the salt pork you buy will arrive with a significant amount of salt still on it. If it occurs, you will want to rinse the extra salt, so the beans are not oversalted.
If you cannot get salt pork, you may replace it with a slab or thick-cut bacon (how long does bacon last?). Because it is made from the belly, bacon contains lean muscle to fat than salt pork because of its origin. You can keep it at a half pound of bacon for every pound of beans, or you can go all out and increase it to three-quarters of a pound if you want the beans to have a stronger bacon flavor.
That's not such a terrible thing, considering that the bacon provides a smokey flavor to the dish, which probably doesn't differ all that much from how the beans tasted when the Pilgrims cooked them in the flickering embers of a dying wood fire.
Final Thoughts
Ensure that all of bacon grease and a broth consistency is sufficient at first. A thorough stirring ought to assist in emulsifying the hog fat, whipping up some of the liberated bean starch, and forming a lovely gloss. If the beans are not saucy enough, add hot water or the water used to boil them if you still have any of that water if the beans are too dry.
If they are too wet and you are tired of waiting for them to finish in the oven, you can always bring the pot to a simmer on the stovetop to reduce the liquid a little bit; however, this was not a situation that I ever ran into while testing the recipe. If they are too wet and you are tired of waiting for them to finish in the oven, you can always bring the pot to a simmer on the stovetop to reduce the liquid.
You should taste the dish and adjust the seasoning as necessary by adding more salt or freshly ground black pepper. If you find that the beans have a sweetness that is too much for your liking, you may adjust the flavor by adding a very little cider vinegar, although I've never thought that my beans required it.
The result was a creamy, rich, and sloppy stew with the perfect combination of sweet and savory flavors. It was so delicious that I considered naming a town after it.
Making Stovetop Baked Beans
Cook the Beans
Soak pinto beans overnight in a large bowl of water. Drain beans and add them to a Dutch oven with enough well-salted water to cover the beans by about 3 inches. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat or bring it to medium heat. Now, simmer for 2 to 2 1/2 hours till the beans are tender.
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Sauté Bacon, Onion, Bell Pepper, and Garlic
Sauté chopped bacon in a skillet over medium heat, till it loses its pink rawness and begins to brown. Add onions, (What wine goes well with onions?) bell pepper, and garlic, and saute for another 3 to 4 minutes.
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Add Sauces, Seasoning and Beans
Season the mix with paprika, chili flakes, salt, and pepper. Mix well and cook for a minute, and then add in brown sugar, ketchup, Dijon mustard (or spicy brown mustard), and BBQ sauce. Add boiled beans, stir, mix well and cook for 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a serving bowl, top off with cilantro, and serve hot!
Transfer baked beans into a serving dish and serve hot with freshly fried tortilla chips (how long do tortilla chips last?).
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Stovetop Baked Beans
Ingredients
- 2 sliced bacon, diced
- 1 small sweet onion, diced
- 1 bell pepper, diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
- 1/4 TO 1/2 teaspoon chipotle chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 tablespoons BBQ sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 (22 ounce) cans baked beans
- 2 slices bacon, for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F.
- Heat a large oven safe skillet over medium-low heat and add the bacon. Cook until brown and crisp and most of the fat is rendered.
- Add and cook, stirring often, the onion, pepper and garlic until everything softens, about 5 minutes. Add and cook the paprika, chili powder, salt and pepper for 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar, BBQ sauce, ketchup, mustard and brown sugar until combined.
- Add in the baked beans directly from the can. Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn off the heat. Taste and season more, if desired. Bacon strips may be added garnished on top for a nice touch!
- Transfer skillet in the oven and bake until bubbly and syrup, about 30 to 35 minutes. Once done baking, remove and let it rest and cool slightly before serving.
Nutrition Facts
Calories
394.42Fat
10.31Sat. Fat
3.56Carbs
65.28Fiber
16.08Net carbs
49.22Sugar
8.73Protein
16.65Sodium
1428.32Cholesterol
28.18
