Sous Vide Boston Baked Beans
By America's Test KitchenPublished on July 5, 2018
Time
Sous vide: 18 to 24 hours; active cooking time: 40 minutes
Yield
Serves 6
Sous Vide Temperature
194°F/90°C
Ingredients
Before You Begin
Note that the beans need to brine overnight before they are cooked sous vide. Be sure to double bag the beans to protect against seam failure. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and let soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 194°F/90°C in 7-quart container.
- Whisk 1½ cups water, molasses, sugar, soy sauce, mustard, and ½ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Cook salt pork in Dutch oven over medium heat until rendered and beginning to crisp, 4 to 8 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in molasses mixture and bring to simmer. Stir in baking soda and cook until foaming subsides, about 30 seconds. Place salt pork mixture, beans, and bay leaf in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until beans are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bags. Cover and cook for at least 18 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Transfer beans to Dutch oven; discard bay leaf. Cook beans over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened slightly and clings to beans, 8 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
- Beans can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, bring to a simmer in medium saucepan or heat in microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway.
to make ahead
Time
Sous vide: 18 to 24 hours; active cooking time: 40 minutesYield
Serves 6Sous Vide Temperature
194°F/90°CIngredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
Why This Recipe Works
Moving beans from oven to water bath worked well. First, we didn't have to babysit the oven for hours. Second, cooking the beans sous vide ensured no blowouts and creamy, tender beans. To neutralize the acidic molasses-laden cooking liquid, we added a bit of baking soda to the bag and cooked the beans in this intense mixture for a full day. Yes, a full day! But it's worth it given the hands-off process and the perfectly cooked legumes that result. Out of the bath, a final simmer thickened up the sauce so that it coated the beans evenly. This dish is just as smoky and just as satisfying as the real deal, and it might even make a believer out of the staunchest baked bean traditionalists.
Before You Begin
Note that the beans need to brine overnight before they are cooked sous vide. Be sure to double bag the beans to protect against seam failure. For more about sous vide cooking, refer to our sous vide guide.
Instructions
- Dissolve 1½ tablespoons salt in 2 quarts cold water in large container. Add beans and let soak at room temperature for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours. Drain and rinse well.
- Using sous vide circulator, bring water to 194°F/90°C in 7-quart container.
- Whisk 1½ cups water, molasses, sugar, soy sauce, mustard, and ½ teaspoon pepper in bowl. Cook salt pork in Dutch oven over medium heat until rendered and beginning to crisp, 4 to 8 minutes. Stir in onion and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in molasses mixture and bring to simmer. Stir in baking soda and cook until foaming subsides, about 30 seconds. Place salt pork mixture, beans, and bay leaf in 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag. Seal bag, pressing out as much air as possible. Place bag in second 1-gallon zipper-lock freezer bag and seal. Gently lower bag into prepared water bath until beans are fully submerged, and then clip top corner of bag to side of water bath container, allowing remaining air bubbles to rise to top of bag. Reopen 1 corner of zipper, release remaining air bubbles, and reseal bags. Cover and cook for at least 18 hours or up to 24 hours.
- Transfer beans to Dutch oven; discard bay leaf. Cook beans over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened slightly and clings to beans, 8 to 12 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve.
- Beans can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. To serve, bring to a simmer in medium saucepan or heat in microwave for 2 minutes, stirring halfway.
to make ahead
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