Not to be outdone by the soi-disant culinary experts at the Baltimore Sun and the San Francisco Chronicle, the Boston Globe strikes back with a tour de force trio of Ham Hocks, Baked Beans, and Brown Bread.
Homely baked beans are Boston’s signature, identified with the city since Colonial days. A traditional Saturday night supper for Puritan families, especially paired with brown bread, this dish, both sweet and savory, continues to provide a hearty meal — especially in the cold winds of winter.
Ham Hocks
- 1 pound Smoked Ham Hocks
- 1 Onion, sliced
- 3 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
- ½ cup fresh Parsley Stems
- 2 sprigs fresh Thyme
- 6 cloves Garlic, peeled
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 3 teaspoons Salt
- 8 cups Water
- In a large stockpot, combine the ham hocks, onion, vinegar, parsley, thyme, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water. Bring to a boil.
- Turn the heat to medium-low and cover the pot. Cook for 1 hour.
- Remove the hocks from the liquid. Strain the cooking water into a bowl. Measure 6 cups and set them aside.
- Pull the meat off the bones, discarding the fat. Dice the meat. Measure ½ cup and set it aside.
Baked Beans
- 1 pound Dried Navy Beans
- 6 cups of Ham Hock Stock
- ½ cup diced Ham Hock
- ¼ pound Bacon, cut into strips
- 2 Onions, chopped
- 1 cup Diced Canned Tomatoes
- 6 tablespoons Molasses
- ¼ cup Brown Sugar
- ¼ cup Cider Vinegar
- 6 tablespoons prepared Mustard
- 1½ teaspoons Salt
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh Ginger
- 1½ teaspoons Cayenne Pepper
- ½ cup Ketchup
- 5 Bacon strips (for garnish)
- Set the oven at 300°F.
- Rinse the beans, drain, and discard any bad ones. In a large stockpot, bring the beans and ham hock stock to a boil. Turn the heat down to medium-low and cover the pot. Simmer the beans for 15 minutes.
- In a large, oven-proof casserole, combine the ham hock, bacon, onions, beans and their liquid, tomatoes, molasses, brown sugar, vinegar, mustard, salt, ginger, cayenne, and ketchup. Stir well. Lay the the bacon strips on top.
- Cover and bake for 4½ to 5 hours, stirring the beans every hour, or until they are very tender. Uncover and bake for 1 hour more.
- Remove the beans from the oven and let them cool slightly before serving.
Brown Bread
- Butter (for the pan)
- 1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
- 1 cup Rye Flour
- 1 cup Cornmeal
- 2 cups Whole Milk
- 2/3 cup Molasses
- 1 cup Raisins
- Set the oven at 300°F. Generously butter an 8½-by-4½-by-2½-inch loaf pan. Tear off a piece of foil that will cover the top of the pan and leave a 1-inch border. Butter one side. Bring a kettle of water to a boil.
- In a large bowl, stir together the whole wheat, rye, and cornmeal. Add the milk, molasses, and raisins. Blend well.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place the foil, buttered-side down, over the top. Firmly seal the edges of the foil around the top of the loaf pan. Place the sealed pan in the middle of a roasting pan large enough to hold the dish comfortably. Pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides.
- Bake the bread for 3 hours or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean.
- Remove the foil and cool the loaf on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Invert the pan and turn the bread out to cool slightly. Slice and serve warm.