Boston Baked Beans

The authentic recipe from Durgin-Park Restaurant in Boston

• 2-quart bean pot
• 2 pounds dry beans -- California pea beans preferred or York State beans
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 pound salt pork
• 1 medium-size onion
• 8 tablespoons sugar
• 2/3 cup molasses
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 4 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Soak beans overnight. In morning parboil them for ten minutes with a teaspoon of baking soda. Then run cold water through the beans in a colander or strainer.

Dice rind of salt port in inch squares, cut in half. Put half on bottom of bean pot with whole onion.

Put beans in pot. Put the rest of the pork on top. Mix other ingredients with hot water. Pour over beans. Put in 300-degree oven for six hours. This will make ten full portions.

Notes from the Chief Bean Man, a century-old position which carries the responsibility for preparing beans according to a strict ritual:  "You can't let the pot just set in the oven. You've got to add water as necessary to keep the beans moist. And you can't be impatient and add too much water at a time and flood the beans."