Baked beans are a breakfast staple in Australia and the UK. Actually, baked beans are a meal staple full stop – breakfast, lunch and dinner! I lived my university days surviving on more baked beans than I care to remember. Open the can, pour onto toast, and microwave. It’s almost like a right of passage being a uni student. Canned baked beans and tuna on rice. Spend as little as possible on food so you have as much as possible for beer. 🙂 As an “adult”, I can probably count the number of times I’ve had canned baked beans on one hand. I’m not a lofty turn-up-my-nose type person. Having been on extended bush bashing trips in remote parts of Australia in 40 degrees / 105F scorching heat, you learn to be grateful for food in any form. Canned beans were a luxury compared to, say….goanna. Yes, I really did feast on wild goannas (which obviously I had nothing to do with catching, skinning, gutting or cooking…..). Oops, sorry to turn you off! The reason I rarely have canned baked beans nowadays is because I tried real baked beans, the homemade real deal. And since then, I’ve never been able to look at baked beans the same again. It’s like….when you try French champagne for the first time. Or a French brie. You know what I mean!
Here’s the thing about real serious homemade baked beans – you need to cook it long and slow. And usually you add a hock or speck, something with meaty, smokey flavours that infuses into the sauce. I definitely plan to share a proper slow cooked baked beans recipe in the coming months. But this one is slightly different. No hock, and it’s ready in around 15 minutes. The flavour oomph from the chorizo which is minced up and cooked with the beans is why these speed baked beans are so tasty, even though it isn’t slow cooked for 3 hours. 🙂 Oh, before I sign off, just a bit of food trivia for you! These baked beans are UK/Australian style that are traditionally considered to be breakfast food, not American style. American style beans have more of a syrupy, thick sauce, often made with molasses (amongst many other ingredients!) and is traditionally served as a side for barbecue feasts. Both are yummy – just different! Lastly – can anyone enlighten me…why are these called baked beans? They aren’t baked!! Happy weekend! – Nagi
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