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 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 saleratus.
Once partially cooked, use a skimmer to remove the beans and place them in an earthen jar or crock, salting them as you go.
Bake
Gash the pork into narrow strips and place it on top of the beans, ensuring the rind is covered.
Add water until it just reaches the top of the beans.
Bake in a moderate oven (350°F / 175°C) for 2 to 5 hours until the beans are evenly browned and the pork is tender.
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 and, after long baking, become tender and creamy.
- Saleratus
- Raises the alkalinity of the cooking water, helping the beans soften.
- Pork
- Adds fat and savory flavor that renders into the beans during baking.
The step that matters
Bake in a moderate oven until evenly browned. Long, gentle baking lets the beans soften fully and develop browning and flavor. Too little time leaves them firm, while the water level must stay near the top of the beans so they do not dry out or scorch.
“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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