Pork and beans is a
culinary dish that uses
pork
Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE.
Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...
and
bean
A bean is the seed of several plants in the family Fabaceae, which are used as vegetables for human or animal food. They can be cooked in many different ways, including boiling, frying, and baking, and are used in many traditional dishes th ...
s as its main ingredients. Numerous variations exist, usually with a more specific name, such as
Fabada Asturiana
Fabada asturiana, often simply known as fabada, is a rich Asturian bean stew, originally from and most commonly found in the autonomous community of Principality of Asturias, but widely available throughout the whole of Spain and in Spanish rest ...
,
Olla podrida
(, also , , ; literally "rotten pot", although ''podrida'' is probably a version of the original word ''poderida'', so it could be translated as "powerful pot") is a Spanish stew, usually made with chickpeas or beans, and assorted meats like por ...
, or American canned pork and beans.
American canned pork and beans
Although the time and place of the first appearance of American canned pork and beans is unclear, the dish was well established in the American diet by the mid-19th century. The 1832 cookbook ''The American Frugal Housewife'' lists only three ingredients for pork and beans: a quart of beans, a pound of
salt pork
Salt pork is salt-cured pork. It is usually prepared from pork belly, or, more rarely, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut side bacon, but is fattier, being made from the lowest part of the belly, and saltier, as the cure is stronger an ...
, and pepper.
Commercially canned pork and beans were introduced in the United States sometime around 1880. According to the 1975 ''Better Homes and Garden Heritage Cookbook'', canned pork and beans was the first
convenience food
Convenience food, also called tertiary processed food, is food that is commercially prepared (often through processing) to optimise ease of consumption. Such food is usually ready to eat without further preparation. It may also be easily p ...
.
Today, the dish is "an American canned classic,
ndis recognized by American consumers generally as an article of commerce that contains very little pork."
The recipe for American commercially canned pork and beans varies slightly from company to company, but generally consists of rehydrated
navy beans packed in tomato sauce (usually made from concentrate and which may incorporate starch, sugar, salt, and seasoning), with very small chunks of
salt pork
Salt pork is salt-cured pork. It is usually prepared from pork belly, or, more rarely, fatback. Salt pork typically resembles uncut side bacon, but is fattier, being made from the lowest part of the belly, and saltier, as the cure is stronger an ...
or rendered pork
fat
In nutrition science, nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such chemical compound, compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food.
The term often refers spec ...
. The ingredients are cooked, packed into hermetically sealed containers, and processed by heat to assure preservation.
See also
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Baked beans
Baked beans is a dish traditionally containing white beans that are parboiled and then, in the US, baked in sauce at low temperature for a lengthy period. In the United Kingdom, the dish is sometimes baked, but usually stewed in sauce. Canned ...
*
Beans and franks
Beans and franks or franks and beans, also known regionally by the brand name Beanee Weenees, is a dish that can be a main course or a side. Often served in informal settings, it is similar to pork and beans, but substitutes hot dogs for pork. Jul ...
*
Boston baked beans
Boston baked beans are a variety of baked beans, sweetened with molasses, and flavored with salt pork or bacon.
History
Native Americans had made corn bread and baked beans. The Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony learned these recipes in the early ...
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Cowboy beans
Cowboy beans (also known as chuckwagon beans) is a bean dish popular in the southwestern United States. The dish consists of pinto beans and ground beef in a sweet and tangy sauce. Other types of meat can be used. The flavor is similar to baked ...
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Feijoada
''Feijoada'' () is a stew of beans with beef and pork. The name ''feijoada'' comes from ''feijão'', 'bean' in Portuguese. It is widely prepared in the Portuguese-speaking world, with slight variations.
The basic ingredients of feijoada are bean ...
*
Cassoulet
Cassoulet (, also , ; ; from Occitan and cognates with Spanish: ''cazoleta'' and Catalan: ''cassolet'') is a rich, slow-cooked stew containing meat (typically pork sausages, goose, duck and sometimes mutton), pork skin () and white beans () ...
*
List of pork dishes
This is a list of notable pork dishes. Pork is the culinary name for meat from the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is one of the most commonly consumed meats worldwide,Raloff, JanetFood for Thought: Global Food Trends Science News Online. ...
*
List of stews
This is a list of notable stews. A stew is a combination of solid food ingredients that have been Cooking, cooked in liquid and served in the resultant gravy. Ingredients in a stew can include any combination of vegetables (such as carrots, potato ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pork and Beans
Canned food
Legume dishes
Food combinations
American pork dishes
Baked beans