Baked Beans

Vermont Baked Beans

Prep Time: 8 hours, inactive soak

Cook Time: 4 hours

Servings: Serves 8

This is a terrific recipe for baked beans from our friend, Gesine Bullock-Prado. In her book, My Vermont Table, she cooks up these beans with our Merquen Smoked Chili Pepper Infused Maple, which brings a little bit of heat. You can also substitute Sugarmaker’s Cut pure maple or Sugarmaker’s Dark pure maple.

1 lb dried yellow-eye beans (or other medium-sized dry bean like yellow solider, navy, or jacob’s cattle)
1 large sweet onion, finely diced (about 1 1/2 cups)
1 tbsp kosher salt
1 tsp dry mustard
1/2 cup Runamok Merquen Infused Maple or Sugarmaker’s Dark pure maple
12 oz salt pork with rind
2 cups chicken stock

1 Wash and pick over the beans. Soak overnight in water to cover.
2 The next day, drain and cover with water in a pot. Boil until barely tender, about 20 minutes.
3 Preheat oven to 325F. The beans should have a nice give on the outside but still have an amount of "tooth" on the inside. If they are too soft here, they will be mushy once fully cooked.
4 Drain and transfer to a large bowl. Add the onion, salt, mustard, and maple syrup and stir to combine.
5 Score the rind of the salt pork and cut in half. Place half in a dutch oven, rind side down and top with the beans. Place the second half of salt pork on top of beans and fill with chicken stock. Add hot water if necessary to cover the beans completely.
6 Bake with the lid on for 3 to 4 hours (check beans for tenderness).
7 Remove the lid and bake for an additional 30 minutes to brown the beans.
8 Remove from the oven, allow to cool, and refrigerate to really bring out the great flavor.