Jamaican Baked Beans
2 cups dried white pea beans
¾ pound salt pork, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tsp salt
1 small onion, studded with 4 cloves
½ cup brown sugar or molasses
¼ cup dark rum
2 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
pinch of thyme
If unprocessed beans are used, soak them in 1 quart of water overnight. Soak salt pork in cold water to cover 2 hours.
Drain beans and put them in a large pot. Add enough water to each 2 inches above the beans. Add salt and bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer beans until barely tender; 30 to 40 minutes for unprocessed beans, 20 minutes for the quick-cooking variety. Drain well.
Preheat oven to 250 F.
Place onion in center of an earthenware casserole. Cover with layer of half of the drained beans and add a layer of half of the salt pork. Add remainder of beans and top with remaining salt pork.
Combine sugar, rum, mustard, pepper and thyme and add to beans. Add boiling water barely to cover and top the casserole with a tight-fitting lid.
Bake 4 to 5 hours, or until tender, adding a little boiling water as necessary to keep the beans sufficiently moist. Uncover casserole and let beans cook 30 minutes longer without additional water.
Yield 4 servings
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