Fake Baked Beans

Baked beans are not only an ideal side dish for barbecues, but also taste great with an English breakfast of scrambled eggs, hash browns, tomatoes, mushrooms and vegetarian sausages. This is how I like my baked beans best. Serve with crusty and fresh sourdough bread and you are ready for a good start in the day.

Where do baked beans actually come from?

We know this from various westerns with Terrence Hill and Bud Spencer, such as They Call Me Trinity or Trinity Is Still My Name. There, the protagonists ate their beans directly from the pan with cooking spoons. So of course it stands to reason that this recipe also originated in America.

And indeed it does. Even the North American natives prepared white beans in a hole in the ground filled with hot stones or ashes. Bear fat and maple syrup were added to the dish. The maple syrup was also invented by the indigenous peoples in the northeastern part of North America. The method of preparation was then adapted by the European colonists, the bear fat was replaced by pig fat, the hole in the ground was replaced by a cooking pot and molasses was used instead of maple syrup.

Which ingredients do I need for baked beans?

You can use any type of beans. Traditionally, however, white beans such as cannellini are part of this dish. However, black beans, which I used for this dish, or kidney beans can be used for baked beans as well. I recommend using canned beans for this recipe. Of course, you can also use dried beans. However, the preparation is very time-consuming. You need to soak the beans in water for at least 8 hours and, depending on the type of beans and your cooking pot (pressure cooker or normal), you need to cook them for up to 2 hours to soften them.

In addition to the beans, you will also need an onion, a clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of rapeseed oil, 4 tablespoons of tomato paste, 3 teaspoons of brown cane sugar, 1 cup (about 250 ml) of water for deglazing, 1 teaspoon of medium-hot mustard and salt and freshly ground pepper for seasoning.

How to prepare the beans?

You can find instructions with all the steps and the list of ingredients in the recipe card below. For tips, hints and recipe suggestions, just keep reading here.

First peel and finely dice the onion and then fry in a pan with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil over medium heat until translucent. Then add 4 tbsp tomato paste to the pan, fry a little and deglaze with 1 cup (about 250 ml) water.

Now put the beans in a colander, then drain and rinse with enough water. Grate the garlic clove and add it to the sauce together with the beans and 1 teaspoon of medium-hot mustard and 3 teaspoons of cane sugar.

Simmer the beans for about 15 minutes on a low to medium heat and season the finished baked beans with salt and pepper. Serve with some fresh sourdough bread or ciabatta and enjoy while still warm. Enjoy 🙂

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