FOOD NEWS
Julia Child's Method To Cook Baked Beans Takes Time, But It's Worth It
BY AUTUMN SWIERS
Julia Child's homemade beans certainly take longer than opening a can. Luckily, the two most important steps — an overnight soak and a long simmer — are hands-off.
Child's classic baked beans recipe calls for dry white beans cooked with salt pork, garlic, dark molasses, Dijon mustard, thyme, ginger, and bay leaves stewed in water.
According to Child, a "leisurely overnight soak followed by long, low simmer produces, to my mind, a bean as tender, meaty, and thoroughly pleasurable as a bean can be."
To soak your dried beans, submerge them in cold water with 2 inches to spare and let them soak overnight uncovered.
The next morning, drain the beans. Then, start your simmer in a slow cooker or on the stovetop, and let them cook for 12 to 14 hours.