Cider beans are a love letter to baked beans. Pinto beans with fresh local cider, salt pork, and sorghum syrup are baked all day. Eating these with cornbread is required!
Ingredients
- 3 cups dried pinto beans or beans of your choice
- water for soaking
- 3 cups fresh apple cider
- 10 oz salt pork (also known as side meat)
- 2 small yellow onions, peeled & left whole
- peeled cloves of 1 whole head of garlic
- 6 tablespoons of sorghum syrup (molasses may be substituted if sorghum is not available)
- 1 tbsp mustard powder
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp apple cider syrup (optional)
Method
Cover the beans with a few inches of water in a large bowl or pot and soak overnight for 12 hours.
Drain the beans and discard the water. In a medium saucepan, simmer the beans with the cider over medium heat for about 30 minutes. Drain the beans and reserve the cooking liquid.
Preheat the oven to 300F. Slice the salt pork to about the thickness of thick cut bacon. Cover the bottom of a cast iron pot with a lid or a bean pot with about half of the pork. Add the beans to the pot. Bury the onions and the garlic cloves in the beans. Cover the beans with the remaining salt pork slices.
In a microwaveable bowl or measuring cup combine the sorghum syrup, vinegar, apple cider syrup, and mustard powder. Microwave for 30 seconds and stir until well combined. Pour over the beans. Add the reserved apple cider cooking liquid. Add hot water until the beans are just covered. Cover the pot.
Bake for 4 hours. Remove from the oven and check the liquid level. If the beans appear too dry, add additional water. Cover the beans and return to the oven. Bake for additional 2 hours or until beans are tender.
Serve with cornbread.
Recipe by Katie