Roger Williams's Boston Baked Beans
For my 2 qt bean pot, I use the following (just double the ingredients
for your "large economy-size" pot):
4 c small white beans (pref. from Maine ;-))
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tsp dry mustard
1 c treacle (molasses), the darker the better
1/2 lb salt pork or fatty bacon
2 onions
Soak the beans in cold water for 12-24 hours (put them in before you
go to work on Friday). If you don't soak them this long, or they're a
bit drier than usual, you may have to simmer them *just until* their
skins start to burst. If you simmer them, save the bean water, as you
can use it in the bean pot later.
Saturday morning, cut the onions in quarters and throw them into the
bottom of the bean pot. Add the drained beans. Disperse the salt
pork chunks throughout the beans or put them on top. Mix all of the
other ingredients with 2-4 c of hot water and dump it into the beans.
Add enough water to cover the beans, and put the pot in the coals at
the back of the kitchen hearth (or, if you must, an oven at 250 F or
so is acceptable).
Cook until dinner-time (6-8 hours), adding water as necessary and
occasionally stirring up the beans. For the last hour or so you can
leave the pot uncovered to get rid of some excess water.
If you leave the leftovers (in the pot) at the back of the hearth,
they'll be all ready for breakfast on Sunday.
