Why it works: Beans and pork are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 11% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 2,000 recipes. Both carry 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine, which smells earthy, pea. The science ↓
Baked Beans
Ingredients
Directions
The book says “a moderate oven”. The 350°F (175°C) in the steps is the modern equivalent, not the book's own figure.
Prepare the beans
Pick out and wash the beans, then soak them overnight in lukewarm water.
The next morning, boil the beans and add the baking soda.
Layer and bake
Once partially cooked, use a skimmer to remove the beans and place them in an earthen jar or crock, salting them as you go.
Add the gashed pork on top of the beans, ensuring the rind is covered.
Pour in water until it just reaches the top of the beans.
Bake in a moderate oven at 350°F (175°C) for 2 to 5 hours until the beans are evenly browned and the pork is tender with a crispy rind.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Beans + porktop 11% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together2,000 recipes
Shared aroma: 2-isopropyl-3-methoxypyrazine (earthy, pea).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Small white beans
- Form the bulk of the dish, becoming tender and creamy during soaking, boiling and baking.
- Baking soda
- Raises the pH of the cooking water, which helps the beans soften.
- Pork
- Adds fat and savory flavor, and its rind crisps and browns in the oven.
The step that matters
Layering the pork rind above the beans. Keeping the rind covered and the water level just at the bean top lets the pork cook gently while the rind is exposed to dry oven heat to crisp; too much water would prevent crisping.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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