While we Gourmandistanis have been privileged to encounter several different British people on the Internet, we have somehow never managed to discuss beans on toast. From our readings, advertising and a hefty dose of British satellite TV (we miss you, Come Dine With Me!), we’ve concluded there is some strange cultural connection to what appears to be creepily plain canned baked beans. On toast. Often, microwaved.
This affection for one of the ultimate expressions of boringly prepared bland brownness may explain why, in his River Cottage Meat Book, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall offers the option of discarding the bits of pork belly in his delightful recipe for Baked Beans. We strongly advise against it. We sacrificed our last piece of pork belly (though the next batch of pig pieces is due to arrive soon) to make this simple, slow-cooked dish, and we were not about to give it up as merely a “spice” or “lubricant.” Instead, we went in the opposite direction—lifting the softened belly chunks from the beany broth and frying them crisp before using to top hearty helpings. And we served our beans with some excellent rye bread, from a recipe we found on Susan Eats London’s site.
Britannia, we may not always understand you. But despite what we say, we often think you rule.
RECIPE NOTES: We omitted the cloves and cut the pork belly a bit smaller than the recipe calls for (into 1″ cubes). Also, we used pinto beans rather than the white haricots, just because that’s what we had on hand. (Fearnley-Whittingstall said in a Guardian piece that you can basically use any sort of dried bean you want.) Finally, as mentioned above, we fished out the belly squares and crisped them up in a hot skillet before serving. The recipe that appears on the Guardian website adds half a tin of chopped tomatoes, which likely would make them a bit closer to the beloved Heinz Beanz.
Gourmandistan 
I can’t stop grinning! From what I can see, Resident Bread Baker seems to have acquitted himself admirably!
Delicious!
😀
This is excellent! I am a Brit and so beans is nothing new to me, particularly from my student days. Usually only the really lazy leave it as just beans from the tin and microwave them though. Most of us cook them on the hob, add cheese and/or seasoning and spices. In my family we also crack an egg into the beans, let it cook until creamy in colour and you have “beans supreme!”. Add a side order of rocket leaves for extra taste and texture and you have yourself a simple, quick and easy but tasty dish. Or you could just have tinned beans with scrambled egg on toast seasoned with salt and pepper too. Perfect for those on a budget!
I’m of the belief that an egg is seldom unwelcome in any dish! Thanks for stopping by.
I lived in Georgia – Heinz Beans are OK, but nothing beats the real thing 😉
Here’s my take on baked beans: http://maddogtvdinners.wordpress.com/2011/01/20/baked-beans/
I knew I should’ve searched before I linked!
I have a personal comment to make on the full English Breakfast – the Heinz Beans should never ever touch the fried egg – there should always be a barrier of bacon, sausage and black pudding in between! The beans go with the meat and the eggs go with the meat, but they don’t go together.
Now you know I’m really weird 😉
I love it!
Beans on toast.. one of the ultimate comfort foods.. that I’d forgotten about until now! Thanks for a gourmet take on this!
Of course, I should have known they made it to Canada!
Oh my, this sounds so good! January weather definitely calls for beans, and these look like some of the best out there.
Thanks, Emma! I can’t wait for spring. But, in the meantime, there’s pork belly and beans.
I don’t know why I never encountered the idea of crisping the pork belly before adding it back as a succulent garnish–that’s a great idea. Thanks. I’m going to steal it. Ken
Steal away!
Looks fantastic, especially those crispy and decadent pieces of pork belly! I couldn’t have thrown them out either. That’s just crazy.
Wasting pork belly from a heritage pig would be the gravest of sins!
I haven’t seen a bottle of Newcastle Brown in the last 10 years. I’d have been happy to go another 10! Your bean dish looks delicious. I’m not crazy about Heinz Baked Beans, but don’t mention this to Jenny as she’d think I ‘d gone mad and have me put down:)
OK, fine, Roger, I read it’s the working man’s beer. Shall I send you a 6-pack of the much worse American version, say PBR? Plus, the colors on the label matched my bowl. 🙂
Those are some admirable cubes of belly. I’m gonna have to have a talking to with this Fearnley guy if he’s throwing pork belly in the dustbin.
They were delicious, I must say. New pig on the way this week. And, hopefully, not a morsel of it will be tossed away.
Can’t wait for the play-by-play!
We screwed up a number of things last year (the heritage breed our friends raise runs a bit on the lean side), but we learned a lot and hope to do better this time around. We’ll let you know!
That looks delicious.
Thanks, Rosemary. Glad to see you back!
Oh God, i absolutely love fried pig belly and why I never thought of doing this before i have no idea.. a perfect choice with the lovely messy beans.. c
Fried pig belly. For sure.
He suggests discarding the pork belly?!?!?!
I am stupefied.
Thank goodness you left it in! And who would really want to discard it anyway? I forget who it was that I was reading who extols the perfectly cooked beans in a can of Heinz. Was it Simon Hopkinson? Nigel Slater? I forget, but it made me run out, buy a can, and slap the contents on top of toast.
I can’t say that I really enjoyed it, but I tend to find Heinz Beans way too sweet for my tastes. Maybe making my own like you did is the trick 🙂
Making your own may help, but I’m still not seeing beans as comfort food. Bacon, on the other hand… 🙂
Beans are totally comfort food! Starchy, filling, warm . . . covered, um, in cheese!
This sounds wonderful and I love the idea of crisping the pig belly before serving. Zia had a great recipe for baked beans but can no longer find it. I might have just “found” her a replacement. 🙂 Thanks for sharing,
Thanks, John. This is a good, and easy, recipe. Next time, I probably will try it with the tomatoes, though.
Pork belly would make anything delicious 🙂
Ain’t it the truth?
Throw away pork belly? Not on my life! I love a good ol’ bowl of baked beans.
Sacrilege, isn’t it?
Can I tell you two a secret? …
….
……. I don’t really like the classic beans on toast. My parents enjoy it, always having a can of Heinz on the go, but then they’ve lived in Britain for 30 years now. (I can’t really see myself acquiring a taste for those microwaved beans within the next 7-and-a-bit years, either!)
But the pork belly in this post is making a strong and very persuasive argument for trying your beans. I really can’t believe Fearnley-Whittingstall recommends you discard the meat; he is, to put it mildly, a nose-to-tail eater. If anyone told me to throw away pork belly I would cackle evilly for a good minute and then abruptly stop to fix the giver of this so-called ‘advice’ with the stoniest glare I could muster.
Also I must thank you for linking me in your post! So honoured. 😀
Not sure why he said that. I bet if we asked him now, he’d admit he made a mistake. And, if he didn’t, we could all cackle evilly and stare!
I’m used to southwestern-y beans with cumin and chile powder, but these look awesome. We eat beans all the time and it’s nice to have variation.
Yeah, it was an interesting change. Thanks for stopping by.