Beef and Boston Baked Beans

By: Deborah

This beef and boston baked beans recipe combines tender beef, smoky baked beans, and a rich, tangy sauce. Hearty and flavourful comfort food that's perfect for cosy dinners or as a crowd-pleasing dish at gatherings!

PREP: 15

COOK: 4

TOTAL: 4 15

Course: Lunch, Main

Cuisine: American

Servings: 5 people

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Equipment

Ingredients

2 x 400 g (28.2 oz) tins cannellini beans drained and rinsed
1 bay leaf
1.2 litres (5 cups) cold water
1 tbsp vegetable oil
500 g (1.1 lb) beef shin cut into 4cm chunks
120 g (4.2 oz) smoked lardons (see Notes)
1 large onion cut into wedges
2 cloves garlic thinly sliced
100 g (⅓ cup) treacle
2 tbsp tomato purée
1 tbsp mustard powder
pinch of ground cloves
salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 2. Put the beans and bay leaf into a medium saucepan and pour in the water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 8 minutes (you may need to top up the water slightly as they cook).
Heat the oil in a large casserole or ovenproof saucepan over a high heat. Fry the beef for 5 minutes over a high heat until evenly browned (you’ll need to do this in a couple of batches). Transfer to a plate using a slotted spoon. Add the lardons and onion to the pan, and cook over a medium to high heat for 5 to 7 minutes until the onions are turning golden and the lardons are starting to crisp.
Stir the beef back into the pan. Add the beans along with the cooking liquid, and stir in the garlic, treacle, tomato purée, mustard powder, a pinch of ground cloves, and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Cover and bring to a simmer, then transfer to the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes. Remove the lid, stir and return to the oven for 1 hour 30 minutes until the meat is tender and the sauce rich. Serve with baked potatoes, cornbread or crusty bread, and coleslaw.

Notes

Smoked bacon lardons substitute - if you can't get lardons, use smoked streaky bacon instead. Just chop it up before adding it at step 2.

Vegetarian option - replace the beef with mushrooms or jackfruit.

Herbs and spices - try adding smoked paprika, thyme or chilli powder for additional depth.

Toppings - garnish with fresh parsley, crispy onions or grated cheese for extra flavour.

The beef and boston baked beans recipe is easily halved, or you can freeze any leftovers if you make the full recipe.

Nutrition

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

KEYWORDS beef and beans recipe, boston baked beans recipe, comfort food, freezable, make ahead, slow cooked beef recipe, winter warmer

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