Most British recipes for Boston baked beans just use a piece of pork belly, but we think it needs some salted or smoked meat to counteract the sweetness, so we include bacon or pancetta.
In fact, chef Jose Garces thinks you need to use more of this tender ingredient in your own kitchen: "Americans have this love affair with bacon. Pork belly is where bacon comes from and is more ...
For a whole pork belly, take a leaf out of the Italians’ book: slather the belly with herbs, roll it up and tie it tightly, then roast in a low oven overnight (look for a recipe for porchetta).
And nothing hits that sweet spot for Niles like the whole pork belly at Costco ... like a no brainer if you own a smoker and are thinking of making your own bacon or a bacon-like smoked pork ...