Boston Baked Beans

Hello everyone! It’s been a while since I’ve submitted a recipe to Cucina Domenico, but I thought that since Independence Day is this weekend, now would be a good time to share a great recipe for baked beans with you. I love it because it only requires one pot, it reheats wonderfully (actually, it’s even better the next day), it serves a crowd, and, if you’re not feeding a lot of people, it freezes well.

I found this recipe through Fine Cooking. I’m sure that by now you’ve noticed that Fine Cooking is one of my favorite sites for recipes. This is for a very good reason – their recipes almost always yield terrific results. This recipe in particular is one of them. I made one very minor change, but it made a huge impact on the flavor. The original recipe calls for salt pork, which is a saltier and usually much fattier version of bacon. Initially, I made it this way. It was very good, but not great. So I tried making it again using bacon instead. This time the results were much better, but still I felt it lacked something. Then I came across another recipe for baked beans which used a meaty smoked ham hock, so I decided to try it.

I’m still not sure what the difference between a ham hock and a ham shank is, but I purchased the latter one by accident. I use pork shanks to make soup all the time so I figured it would work. And it did, perfectly! Depending on the size I buy, I don’t always put all of the meat back in with the beans. Of course, none of it ever goes to waste. The leftovers make an awesome sandwich, ya know.

If, for some reason, you can’t find a ham hock or shank, do not hesitate to make this using the bacon. Don’t get me wrong, we ate the first two batches of baked beans without complaints. Both were better than anything you can buy in a can, but the third version is the cream of the crop. It is very meaty, and it has a wonderful smoky flavor.

Here’s a few tips:
First, don’t salt this dish (or any dish that has uncooked beans in it for that matter) until the beans are completely cooked. Adding salt before the beans are cooked can cause the beans to become tough or not cook through properly. Some people will dispute this, but, in my experience, I say not to. I’ve chosen to ignore this advice a few times and each time I regretted it.
Second, as I mentioned earlier, this is much better the next day. The flavors really come together and once it cools, it thickens nicely. That doesn’t keep me from making this the day I plan on serving it though. Oftentimes, I’ll just make it in the morning and let it cool on the stove until we are ready to eat. By then, the beans usually have a nice consistency, and no one ever complains about lack of flavor.

Boston Baked Beans
Adapted from Fine Cooking

Ingredients
1 lb. navy beans, yellow-eye beans, or other dried white beans (I use great northern beans, and the cooking time is approximately 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your bean.)
1 meaty smoked ham hock, ham shank, or 4 oz. of bacon or salt pork (rind removed and reserved)
1 chopped medium onion (5 to 6 oz.), cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 tsp. finely chopped garlic (optional)
4 to 5 cups water; more as needed
2 Tbs. dark molasses (but not blackstrap)
2 Tbs. maple syrup
3 Tbs. Heinz chili sauce or tomato ketchup (I always use ketchup)
2 Tbs. Dijon mustard
1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 tsp. kosher salt; more to taste
1 Tbs. apple-cider vinegar

Directions
Pick over beans and soak them in water overnight. The next morning, discard any beans that are floating on the surface, and drain the beans.

Heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Heat a large 5-qt Dutch oven. If using the ham hock or shank, add about 1-2 tbs extra virgin olive oil to the pan, and add the onion and garlic and cook until it begins to soften, about 5 minutes. If using the salt pork or bacon, omit the olive oil, add the salt pork or bacon to the pot, and cook until crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. At this point you should have enough fat to cook your onions and garlic in.

Add 4 cups of the water, the molasses, maple syrup, chili sauce or ketchup, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and pepper. Stir well to combine. Increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Add the drained beans and the reserved pork rind, ham hock, or ham shank (if using) and wait for the boil to return. Cover the pot and transfer it to the oven.

After the beans have been in the oven for 10 minutes, turn the heat down to 300°F. After 1 hour, check the pot and add water as needed to keep the beans just barely covered. Also, if using a ham shank, turn about every half hour to be sure it cooks evenly. Check it again every half hour. You may need to add up to 1 cup for navy beans and 1-1/2 cups water for yellow-eye beans, but be wary of making them too watery, especially near the end of cooking. If the ham shank or hock starts to fall off the bone before the beans are finished, carefully remove it from the pot with tongs and place it on a cutting board to cool. Once cool, shred the pork with your fingers and add the meat back to the pot with the beans.

The beans are ready when they’re very soft and tender yet still retain their shape, about 2 to 2-1/2 hours for navy beans; 3-1/2 hours for yellow-eye beans. Remove the beans from the oven and discard the pork rind (if using) or the ham shank or hock if you haven’t done so earlier and proceed as described above. Add the vinegar and season the beans with salt and more pepper, if you like. Stir the beans gently; as you stir, the starches will be released and the baked beans will become lightly thickened. Don’t over mix when they’re this hot. Let them sit for at least 20 minutes before serving. They can also be cooled completely, refrigerated, and then gently reheated.

Grilled Eggplant Parm Sandwiches

I came across this modern and fresh version of the classic eggplant parm sandwich a little over a year ago when I started watching Sam the Cooking Guy. Like myself, Sam does not consider himself a chef, but rather the guy next door who likes to cook and have fun while experimenting in the kitchen. His cooking show is also both entertaining and educational, which is a big plus, considering all of the other trendy fly-by-night cooking shows these days.

I’d consider myself an eggplant parm junkie, and when I discovered this new twist on one of my favorite dishes, I was blown away (you may remember my suggesting Sam’s web page a while back through my Facebook group page). Unlike traditional eggplant, which is breaded and deep fried, then often left swimming in a heap of sauce and cheese, this recipe uses the key ingredients heated together on the grill. You’re simply slicing eggplants and tomatoes, seasoning them with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grilling them up. You’re then toasting up some rolls (which essentially replaces the breadcrumbs), and you’re stacking the grilled eggplant and tomato on the roll with fresh basil, some shredded parmesan cheese and a slice of mozzarella cheese.

Grilling the tomato actually softens it up, and when added to the sandwich, it almost becomes its own sauce. Everything then comes together in each glorious, gooey bite. Simple, fresh and delicious! This sandwich has become a go-to staple in the summertime, and could very well be one of my all time favorite sandwiches. I follow Sam’s recipe step-by-step, but occasionally serve it on slider rolls as an appetizer (as pictured). I suggest you give this one a try, and definitely check out Sam the Cooking Guy (you can find the original link to  Sam’s recipe by clicking here).

Grilled Eggplant Parmesan Sandwiches
Courtesy of Sam the Cooking Guy

• 1 large globe eggplant – or 2 smaller ones
• 3 large tomatoes
• 4 slices mozzerella cheese
• 4 crusty Italian type rolls, split in half
• 1/3 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• 1 bunch fresh basil
• Olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Cut eggplant & tomatoes to get eight 1/4 inch slices of each

Brush eggplant with olive oil and season with salt & pepper

Grill eggplant on both sides until soft and marked with grill lines

Do the same with tomatoes, but for about half the eggplant time

Heat broiler, and toast buns lightly

Remove from oven and on top of the bottom roll place, in this order…2 slices of eggplant, 2 slices of tomato, 3 large basil leaves, mozzerella cheese and finally about 2 tablespoons of parmesan

Place openface under broiler to melt cheese and brown the top – but don’t go far you don’t want them to burn.

Place tops on and slice in half – yummm

Italian Potato Salad

Potato salad could arguably be one of the most popular salads served this time of year. From roast beef, chicken and pulled pork sandwiches, to grill-outs and picnics, potato salad is hands-down the side dish staple. The combination of potatoes and mayonnaise (often with the addition of carrots, celery, eggs, and even bacon bits) is both classic and comforting.

Now, I’m not always a big fan of the often too creamy, too gloppy texture of potato salad, especially during the dog days of summer. Also, I tend to find that the potato itself tends to get lost in the mix when too many other ingredients are included. Italian style potato salad, however, is much lighter in texture, and the key ingredients all work together and help enhance the taste of the potato, rather than disguise it. There are four key ingredients to Italian style potato salad: potatoes, olive oil, white vinegar and garlic. You can serve as is, or enhance the salad by using a number of additional ingredients, depending on the taste that you are going for. 

• For a fresh accent, add some fresh chopped parsley.

• If you’re looking for a zesty punch, add some Italian seasoning, and jack it up a bit more with some crushed red pepper.

• For a more earthy taste, add some fresh chopped rosemary and sage.

• And for a little extra texture, toss in some bacon or pancetta!  

ITALIAN POTATO SALAD
6 medium potatoes, peeled and cut in half
2/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

Boil salted water in a large pot. Add potatoes, boil until tender but firm, about 20 minutes. Drain, cool and chop.

Mix together olive oil, vinegar and garlic.*

In a large bowl, toss the potatoes with the oil/vinegar/garlic mixture to evenly coat. Cover and refrigerate over night.

*Adjust taste with additional flavors and seasonings.

Lemon Carbonara with Asparagus

Carbonara is a delicate, yet filling pasta dish that incorporates raw eggs and pecorino romano cheese as a sauce. Pancetta (Italian bacon) is also usually part of the mix, allowing the rendered fat to flavor both the sauce and the pasta. Vegetables, such as peas, mushrooms or asparagus (which I prefer) are very complimentary to this dish. Although this is a cream sauce, it is much lighter than the more traditional alfredo cream sauce. Also, the goal is to just coat the pasta rather than have it swim in the sauce. Long flat pasta, such as linguine or fettuccine, work best with this sauce. Noodles also work well and can be easier to manage if you’re like me and are not a big fan of long pasta.

What I particularly like about Carbonara is its overall ease and flexibility. With just a few ingredients, you have total control over how much sauce you make and how flavorful you want it. Both pancetta and pecorino romano are quite salty, so there is no real need for any other herbs or spices. However, I like to add lemon zest to my sauce. It gives a fresh and welcoming zing. You can also substitute bacon for the pancetta for a more smokey flavor. Or you could do half pancetta and half bacon for a nice smokey/salty balance! This is not a dish that you want to make in excess. Since it is an egg-based sauce, it would be tricky to reheat and keep the intended texture. I suggest making between 2-4 servings, at least until you find an egg/cheese ratio that you are happy with. The recipe below serves two people, but feel free to adjust the cheese and egg measurements to your liking!

LEMON CARBONARA WITH ASPARAGUS

2 eggs
1/4 cup pecorino romano, plus more for serving
1/4 cup pancetta, chopped into 1″ cubes
1/4 cup asparagus, chopped
1/2 lb pasta
2 tbspn EVOO
Zest of one lemon
Black pepper to taste

Heat the EVOO in a frying pan, add the chopped pancetta. Cook 3-4 minutes, until the pancetta is slightly crispy and the fat is rendered. Remove from pan, set aside. Do a quick wipe-down of the pan to remove any gristle and excessive oil. Set pan aside.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the asparagus, cook until crisp-tender. Remove asparagus from water and place it into a bowl filled with ice water to shock the asparagus (meaning it will bring the cooking process to a complete stop and will keep the asparagus crispy and bright green). Drain and set aside.

Bring another pot of water to a boil. Add pasta. Because the pancetta is salty, there is no real need to salt the pasta water. As the pasta is boiling, you will mix the egg, pecorino romano, pepper and lemon zest in a bowl (as if you were preparing an egg omelette batter). Add the pancetta and asparagus, stir in, set aside.

When the pasta is done, remove from water (reserving the water). Place the pasta into the pan used for the pancetta. Quickly toss the pasta in the pan to coat it in the pancetta fat. Immediately after this, pour the egg batter over the pasta. Make sure that the pan is not on the heat, as this will cook the egg, which you do not want to do. The hot pasta will supply enough heat to properly cook the egg mixture. Whisk the batter into the pasta until it starts to thicken up a bit and all of the pasta is coated (again, you DO NOT want a scrambled egg texture, but rather a creamy sauce). You can add some pasta water to the pan a little at a time, until you get a consistency that you like.

Place the pasta on a dish, top with some more pecorino romano. Enjoy!