Feves Au Lard Baked Beans And Pork Recipes

FèVES AU LARD (TRADITIONAL QUEBEC NAVY BEANS)

Steps:

• Put the beans and water into a jar with a lid for 18 hours (counting the cooking time, that's 5 hours later than you want to be eating them the next day, so if you want your beans at 5 pm on Tuesday, soak them at 10 pm on Monday. It's ok to give or take a couple hours, but I'd rather give than take.).
• When the 18 hours are almost up, finely dice the fatback, discarding the skin, and dice the onion.
• Put the diced fatback in the pressure cooker, lid off, and cook it on medium heat until it starts to sizzle.
• While you're waiting for it to sizzle, drain the beans, reserving the water.
• Also, mix together the molasses, ketchup, mustard and savory in a small bowl, adding a little bean water so it can pour easily.
• When the fatback sizzles, stir it a little and add the beans.
• Then, add the onion, about half of the water and the condiments and stir well.
• Add more bean water just until it covers the beans, using it to rinse the remaining condiments from the small bowl if necessary.
• Put the lid on (with the high pressure valve, not the one for vegetables), put on high heat until steam comes out and reduce the heat to the lowest you can without stopping the whistling sound (for me it's a little lower than medium).
• Cook that way for 40 minutes, take the cooker off the heat and wait at least 20 minutes before opening it.
• Troubleshooting and tips : if there's a significant amount of liquid left on the bottom of the cooker, stir the beans, screw the lid back, put on high heat, let the pressure build and take off the stove as soon as it whistles. Then, wait 10 minutes before opening.
• Also, beans are at their best when reheated. Once refrigerated, always stir them well before serving the first leftover portion, so as to distribute the sauce that will have settled to the bottom and hardened.

FEVES AU LARD MAISON (BAKED BEANS WITH MAPLE SYRUP)

Steps:

• Place white beans into a bowl and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight.
• Drain soaked beans. Place in a pot and cover with cold water about 1 inch above top of beans. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer until starting to soften, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
• Drain beans; transfer to clay (or ceramic) cooking pot. Add onion, lard, maple syrup, mustard, and pepper; mix well. Cover with boiling water; place a lid on top. Bake in preheated oven 2 hours.
• Increase oven temperature to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Remove lid from pot; continue baking beans until the top has browned, 10 to 15 more minutes.

BAKED BEANS

Steps:

• Pick over and rinse 1 lb dried navy beans (2 1/4 cups). Soak in cold water to cover by 2 inches at least 8 hours. Alternatively, quick-soak beans (see cooks' note, below). Drain.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F. Rinse and pat dry 1 (1/4-lb) piece salt pork (rind discarded), then cut into 3 pieces.
• Put beans and pork in an ovenproof 3-quart heavy pot with a lid. Add 4 1/2 cups water, 1 large onion (finely chopped; about 2 cups), 2 chopped garlic cloves, 1/2 cup Grade B maple syrup, 1 tablespoon dry English mustard (preferably Colman's), and 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper and stir to combine. Cover pot and bake until beans are just tender, 3 to 4 hours.
• Reduce oven temperature to 325°F. Remove lid. Bake beans, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is absorbed but beans are still saucy, 1 to 1 1/2 hours more. Remove from oven. Stir in 1 tablespoon cider vinegar and 1 teaspoon salt or more to taste.