Oxford SlowFoodStudent

Before we begin, I want to side-step the whole Boston/Canadian/British baked-beans argument; I'm not quite sure which camp this recipe belongs to, but, by trial, error and distilliation of various other recipes, these "Brian's Baked Beans" have been arrived at and are, for my tastes, perfect.

1. Buy some pork. Fatty pork. This is not the time to watch your waistline; anyway, the beans are healthy enough to be getting along with... So go for the fattiest bit you can lay your hands on. Traditionally, you should get hocks (shanks), and Feller's will definitely stock those. In other parts of Oxford/of the country, you may want to get pork belly or something more easily available. Last resort is bacon-bits. But remember, fat. Fat. Go for either 1 hock, two slices of pork-belly, or lots of bacon-bits.

2. Next, the day before you want to make the beans, put your dried haricot into soak and leave them overnight. This step really is quite important; if you scrimp on soaking time here, you will end up with beans that are soft on the outside but still crunchy (and indigestible) on the inside. Not cool.

3. Take your fatty pork (really can't stress this enough) and score the outer, rindy layers of fat. This will help it to render into the sauce and, eventually, work its way into your beans, turning them into creamy, delicious little nuggets of startchy, fatty goodness.

4. Change the water you've been soaking the beans in and then bring them to the boil in a large pan, with a bay leaf or some savoury. Simmer them for at least an hour, or until already quite tender. Pre-heat your over to 150C.

5. With water just covering the beans, add in your meat, and then the rest of your ingredients. I say "your" because it really is down to you. I like about 3 tablespoons of molasses, about 50g-100g of dark brown sugar, a few grinds of salt and pepper, 3 tablespoons tomato puree, 1 tablespoon mustard powder and a few drops of the good old Worcestershire stuff. But you can change quantities, add or subtract ingredients... Like fresh, peeled tomatoes, for example, or more/less molasses. Go nuts. Just don't forget the pork.

6. Once this is all simmering away nicely, put it in the oven and forget about for as long as you dare. I tend to cook mine for anything up to 8 hours; less than 4 will be pretty useless. It's quite pleasant to while away an autumn Sunday reading, messing about, and occasionally checking the beans, topping them up with water if/when necessary.

7. Serve. I like to eat the first lot fresh from the oven as a kind of thick soup, taking the hock/belly slices as a cooks' treat (the flesh will be gorgeously, meltingly tender), and running round the bowl with a slice of soft bread after I've finished. Whilst they're still warm, I then transfer the remaining beans to jars/containers and then put them in the fridge, where they then play the same role as Heinz Baked Beans, only much tastier, in mid-week lunches and quick suppers. If stored in clean, tight-lidded jars, these will keep for anything up to a month in the fridge.

Forget Heinz. Now, beanz meanz Brianz.