Maple Chipotle Pulled Pork and Beans - an ultimate comfort food meal combining two slow cooked favorites, pulled pork and baked beans.
Course
Dinner
Cuisine
American inspired
Keyword
braised beef, chili
Prep Time30minutes
Cook Time4hours
Total Time4hours30minutes
Servings10servings
AuthorBarry C. Parsons
Ingredients
1pounddry white beans
3poundspork shoulder or butt
1tsppowdered ginger
1tspblack pepper
1/2tspground cumin
1tspchili powder
1/2tspsalt
3tbspcanola oil
1/2poundsmoked baconcut in small pieces
1large white onion chopped
3clovesminced garlic
2cupswater
2tspfreshly ground black pepper
2tspchipotle powdermore or less to taste
1tspsalt
1/2cupbrown sugar
1/2cupapple cider vinegar
1 1/2tspdry thyme
4cupspureed canned tomatoes
1cupmaple syrup
3large bay leaves
Instructions
You will need to pre-soak the beans in water at least overnight. The longer you soak the beans the less time it takes to cook them, although it will still be several hours. I have soaked beans for up to 48 hours in advance.
Cut the pork into about 1/2 to 2 inch cubes.
Mix together the ginger, pepper, cumin, chili powder and salt to form a rub for the pork. Rub it into the cubed pork.
Heat the canola oil in the bottom of a large dutch oven over medium to medium high heat. Add the seasoned pork cubes and brown them well. Remove from the pot and set aside.
Add the bacon to the pot and cook until almost crispy. Drain excess fat.
Add the onion and minced garlic and cook until softened.
Drain the beans from the water they were soaked in and add them to the pot.
Add all of the remaining ingredients to the pot. If your dutch oven is not large enough you can transfer everything to a large covered roaster.
Stir all together well, cover and place in a 325 degree F oven for 3 to 4 hours or longer stirring occasionally.
The beans should be fully cooked and tender and the sauce should thicken. I sometimes add a little extra boiling water during the cooking time if the sauce thickens too quickly before the beans are fully cooked. This is not a problem at all and can be done more than once if necessary.(see NOTE Regarding cooking time.)
Recipe Notes
I almost always add a little extra boiling water at a few points during the cooking time if the sauce thickens too quickly before the beans are fully cooked, usually about 1 to 1½ cups at a time. This is not a problem at all and is to be expected.
The cooking time seems to vary a great deal depending upon the type of white bean you are using. I have seen some that can take up to 8 hours to fully cook in a slow oven. The best approach is to consider this an all day recipe that you start in the morning for dinner. Baked beans are even better when cooked a day ahead, which is how I mostly cook them.