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Blue and white table cloth with pot of pork and beans and white bowl of beans.

Homemade Pork and Beans

These Homemade Pork and Beans are made extra tasty with the addition of diced pork belly but have all the traditional ingredients, including dry navy beans, tomato sauce, molasses, dry mustard, and apple cider vinegar, for a rich, old-fashioned side dish straight from your own kitchen.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 3 hours 15 minutes
Course Side Dish
Cuisine American, Comfort Food
Servings 8
Calories 206 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces navy beans dry
  • ¼ pound pork belly cubed
  • 1 Tablespoon kosher salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper to taste
  • 8 ounces tomato sauce
  • ⅓ cup molasses
  • 1½ teaspoons dry mustard
  • 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 4 cups water plus more as needed
  • 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Instructions
 

  • In a Dutch oven, cover the navy beans with water.
    16 ounces navy beans
  • Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat and cover. Let soak for 1 hour. Then drain off the water.
  • Return the pot to medium heat and cook the pork belly until the fat begins to render.
    ¼ pound pork belly
  • Add the drained beans back to the pot. Also add the salt, pepper, tomato sauce, molasses, dry mustard, Worcestershire sauce, baking soda, and water.
    1 Tablespoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 8 ounces tomato sauce, ⅓ cup molasses, 1½ teaspoons dry mustard, 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, 4 cups water
  • Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the beans are tender and the sauce has thickened.
  • Thickening will take about 2 hours. Add small amounts of water (1-2 tablespoons) as needed to keep the beans from drying out before they are fully tender.
  • Stir in apple cider vinegar and serve as is, or use as a base for baked beans.
    3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Notes

  • Stir regularly to prevent sticking, especially once the sauce begins to thicken.
  • Beans can vary in cooking time depending on age and brand. Simmer until they are tender, adding splashes of water (1-2 tablespoons) as needed if the sauce thickens before the beans are done.
  • Use only 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda. Too much can affect the beans' flavor and texture.
Keyword pork belly