We’re pretty used to baked beans here in New Zealand – the canned, sweet and swimming in tomato sauce variety. So often served up on hot buttered toast as a weekend lunch after kids’ sports, or a quick weeknight dinner.
Boston baked beans are sweetened with molasses, and flavoured traditionally with Salt Pork, which is not commonly found here, so I used pancetta and pork belly instead which was delicious. Picking out the lovely soft bits of pork belly through the beans was like hunting for treasure!
Cook ‘em low and slow for maximum flavour and tender beans. These are great weekend grazing. If you don’t have an eight-person household (I’m down to one at the mo), then you can enjoy the benefits that come from flavours developed over several days.
