Why everybody loves Saturday night

Lard returns to the classic Boston Baked Bean Pot, Chelsea style. Above baking in a 300° oven this morning, hour two of six. You can't beat the old-fashioned New England look of our brown-and-tan pot -- purchased years ago from L.L. Bean's to replace our previous one, whose top had slipped the surly bonds of our mitted hands and gone crashing to the floor. Both the handles and the knob on top of the lid are too small. Today's bean pots are a definite improvement in that department. On the other hand, there is something that doesn't like a bean pot whose handles are too easy to grasp.

"Classic New England recipe without the saturated fat that folks today can do without," we described our grand-prizewinning Boston Baked Beans in a California garlic growers' contest back in 2002. Since those innocent days of gustatory deprivation, we've simplified, traditionalized and even larded up our recipe, renamed it Chelsea Baked Beans and shed our adipophobia,* even as we've shed 34 pounds -- count 'em! -- in 4 1/2 months since jumping on the Cold Turkey bandwagon end of May. About 10 to 15 pounds more, and we should be able to fit into anything hanging in the dreaded closet. Already this morning we slipped easily into a pair of size medium Ann Taylor velvet slacks that had been out of bounds -- or rather our figure had been out of bounds -- for years. Here are the recipe and calorie counts:

Chelsea Baked Beans

1 lb dry beans (we use 1/2 lb each of Goya's pink and black) soaked in water at least an hour = 840 calories

5 cloves roasted garlic, pressed (or chopped raw) = 20 calories

1 cup fat-free chicken broth = 10 calories

1 cup apple cider = 120 calories

1 cup tomato juice = 45 calories

1/4 (4 tbsp) cup molasses = 240 calories

4 slices chopped bacon = 140 calories or 1/6 cup unhydrogenated lard = 239 calories

1 tsp ground mustard = 10 calories

Water to fill up the bean pot = 0 calories

TOTAL = 1,425 to 1,524 calories for 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) = 119 to 127 calories per 1/2-cup serving

Put drained beans and other ingredients into large saucepan and bring to boil. Pour into 2-quart (8 cups) bean pot or other ovenproof covered pot, add water to fill and bake at 300° six or more hours till liquid is reduced to a smooth syrup and beans are tender but not mushy. Peek under the lid every couple of hours and add more liquid if necessary.

Chelsea Baked Beans are a regular for Saturday Night Beans & Franks around here and down east at Goomp's. We slice a couple of dogs -- one per person and one for the pot --  diagonally into 1/4-inch coins, mix in with beans and bake a half hour at 350° and serve on a bed of steamed, shredded cabbage with leeks, topped by a slice of toasted corn muffin. Cold Turkey Cookbook Index to Recipes.

*adipo-, adip-, adipos- +  (Latin: fat, lard; of or pertaining to fat; fleshy)

Comments

[Gayle Miller]

Okay Sissy. Here's the deal. 4-1/2 months from now I am going to be down at least as many pounds as you because starting Sunday I am on your eating program! Moving into the new house tomorrow, organizing the kitchen and the laundry tomorrow and Saturday, relaxing (and doing a spot of cooking on Sunday) and there you have it!

[goomp]

Can't wait for your coming visit to have the larded Saturday night supper. It is always delicious when you are here but this new formula sounds even more scrumptious

[Teresa]

Oh My Goodness!!! What a wonderful sounding recipe. I never made the effort to make my own baked beans, but these sound delightful. I think I need to invest in a bean pot (only problem... cabinet space I must plan...) I'm hungry after reading that and I just finished dinner. *grin*

Now, take a bow ma'am!!! 34.5!!! You are amazing!!! (yes I think this comment deserves copious exclamation points. LOL). I'm soooo proud of you. And sooooo happy you're posting these lovely recipes.

[Sissy Willis]

Gayle: Dueling diets . . . It's a GOOD thing!

Goomp: My pleasure. :-)

Teresa: Why not make 'em in your new -- or even your old -- crock pot? As with crock pots themselves, there are zillions of recipes for cooking beans in a crock pot" at the end of a Google search. :-)

[pam]

34lbs!! Wow!!! Congratulations, Sissy, that's wonderful!! :D

[hnav]

MMMM !

OKAY, now i have to go get something to eat.

swear i can smell the cooking.

[Gayle Miller]

Since all I can FIND as of today is the crock pot, beans it is!

[Gordon Jones]

Hi, Sissy. We met at Ida Rudolph's play in Chelsea and enjoyed both very much. I did not see an e-mail for you on the main page, so I tossed in this comment. Best wishes, Gordon.

[Sissy Willis]

Hi, Gordon. Thanks for stopping by. Email address is next to last item way down at the bottom of the right column. I can understand why you didn't find it. :-)

[G Braden]

Try adding Linguica and Chourico (Fall River/New Bedford) area has this.