Beantown Beans (Boston-Style Baked Beans)

Note from Cheri: This authentic New England recipe for Boston's most famous dish is from Betty Fussell's wonderful book on authentic American regional cuisine, I Hear America Cooking. Click here for my interview with author and celebrity chef Betty Fussell, as well as more of her recipes and an excerpt from her latest book My Kitchen Wars.

2 C dried beans (pea, navy or soldier) 1/2 lb. smoked slab bacon with the rind on 1 large onion, chopped 1/4 C blackstrap molasses 1 T dry mustard 2 bay leaves, crushed 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. pepper pinch of cayenne pepper or dash of Tabasco® Sauce

Serves 6-8 Pick over the beans to remove grit or stones. Cover beans with cold water, bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover pot and let the beans sit for 1 hour. Drain. Score the bacon in squares without cutting through the rind. Put half the beans in the pot in which you will bake them and add onion, molasses and seasonings. Add remaining beans and bury the bacon, rind up, in the top layer. Add just enough boiling water to cover. Cover the pot tightly and bake at 300° F for 4-6 hours or more to melt the pork fat and meld the flavors. Add boiling water from time to time if needed. Remove lid for the last 30 minutes to make a brown crust.