Of course, of course you can soak your beans before cooking, which will bring the cooking time down to 30-60 minutes. By all means, do this if it works for you. But if you often finding yourself thinking shit shit shit I forgot to soak the damn beans, you can still have beans for dinner as long as you’ve got a couple hours to play with.
I learned of this approach in Steve Sando’s Heirloom Beans, a cookbook I recommend for bean-lovers like you. He calls it The Parsons Method, and it’s made possible because you are a discerning bean-shopper who sources freshly-grown beans like mine instead of seven-year-old stale ones from Bulk Barn.
You can get this on Amazon, but he click-through link is for a local independent bookshop that can probably order it for you!
Here’s the method in my own words:
Preheat oven to between 350F and 375 F
Put your dry beans in an oven-safe pot
Cover with a couple inches of water, stock, or combination.
Include aromatics if you like: carrots, celery, garlic, onion, bay
Include a nice piece of braising pork if you like: like a ham hock or bacon or whatever
Salt right away for less fuss; salt halfway through cooking if you’re in the camp that believes salting too early increases the risk of bean-splitting.
Bring to a simmer on the stove, then cover the pot, place in the oven, and begin checking for doneness at the 1.5 hour mark.
Some are done at 1.5 hours; most take 2 hours; some take three hours. Steve Sando says you shouldn’t rely on this method for chickpeas or runner beans (Scarlett Runners are the only runners I sell currently)
One more thing: many of the broths, or pot liquors, produced by this method are really tasty. They can be saved/added to soups or incorporated into bean dips, among other things.
Yours in Beanery,
Jordan
This method has become the only way I cook my beans now.
