Possible Cooking Methods: Stovetop and Oven Pressure Cooker Slow Cooker
The famous French Cassoulet – a slow cooked pork and white bean stew with a thick crust on top – is the inspiration for this recipe. I used dried beans instead of canned beans here because I feel that they produce the best results. If you’re short on time or forget to soak the beans overnight, you can use 2 (17-ounce) cans of navy beans instead. I won’t hold it against you. Just remember to add them at the very end of cooking (when you stir in the spinach) so that they don’t overcook. If you want to bake a crust onto this dish, follow the last optional step to bake very coarse fresh breadcrumbs on top.
1½ cups (about 1 pound) dried navy beans, soaked in water overnight
4 strips of bacon, chopped
1½ pounds (about 3 links) sweet Italian sausage, casings removed and broken into chunks
1½ pounds boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1½-inch cubes
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, smashed
2 carrots, sliced 1-inch thick
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
½ cup white wine
4 to 5 cups chicken stock*
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes, chopped
4 ounces fresh baby spinach
4 cups very coarse fresh breadcrumbs (optional)
chopped fresh parsley
*Quantity changes for alternate methods
Stovetop and Oven Directions
Serves:4 to 6
Cooking Time:2½ to 3 hours
1. Pre-heat a large 6-quart Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
2. Add the bacon and cook until almost crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside. Working in batches, brown the sausage chunks and pork shoulder in the pot, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the browned meat aside.
3. Add the onion and cook until it starts to soften – about 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic, carrots, celery, nutmeg, thyme and bay leaf and continue to sauté for another 4 minutes or so. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for a minute and then add the chicken stock and tomatoes. Return the browned meat to the pot, along with the soaked navy beans. Cover, leaving the lid askew, and simmer on low heat for 1½ hours.
5. Remove the pot from the heat. Remove the lid, skim some of the fat off the surface of the stew and set it aside. Stir in the spinach and reserved cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top, or proceed with the next optional step.
6. Toss the breadcrumbs with about 2 tablespoons of the reserved fat from the top of the stew. Spread the breadcrumb mixture over the top of the stew and finish by browning the top in a 425°F oven for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Additional Cooking Directions for
Pressure Cooker Directions
Serves:4 to 6
Cooking Time:30 minutes
Change Ingredients: Reduce stock to 2 cups
1. Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function pressure cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting. Add the bacon and cook until almost crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Working in batches, brown the sausage and pork shoulder in the cooker, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the browned pork aside.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots, celery, nutmeg, thyme and bay leaf to the cooker. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. Let it simmer for a minute and then add the chicken stock and tomatoes. (If your cooker doesn’t have a brown setting, use a Dutch oven on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.)
3. Return the browned meat to the pot, along with the soaked navy beans. Cover and lock the lid in place.
4. Pressure cook on HIGH for 20 minutes.
5. Let the pressure drop NATURALLY and carefully remove the lid. Skim some of the fat off the surface of the stew and set it aside. Stir in the spinach and reserved cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top, or proceed with the next optional step.
6. Combine the breadcrumbs and reserved fat. Toast the breadcrumbs in a skillet until crispy and sprinkle this crispy breadcrumb mixture on top of each bowl of stew.
Slow Cooker Directions
Serves:4 to 6
Cooking Time:8 to 10 hours on LOW
Change Ingredients: Reduce stock to 2 cups
1. Pre-heat a 6-quart multi-function slow cooker using the BROWN or SAUTE setting. Add the bacon and cook until almost crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside. Set any extra bacon fat aside. Working in batches, brown the sausage and pork shoulder in the cooker, seasoning with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set the browned pork aside.
2. Add the onion, garlic, carrots and celery and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in the white wine and bring to a simmer. (If your cooker does not have a brown setting, use a Dutch oven on the stovetop for the steps above and transfer the contents to the cooker now.)
3. Return the browned meat to the cooker and add the nutmeg, thyme and bay leaf, chicken stock, tomatoes and the soaked navy beans. Cover and slow cook on LOW for 8 to 10 hours (or 4 hours on HIGH).
4. Remove the lid, skim some of the fat off the surface of the stew and set it aside. Stir in the spinach and reserved cooked bacon. Season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Serve with fresh parsley sprinkled on top, or proceed with the next optional step.
5. Combine the breadcrumbs and reserved fat. Toast the breadcrumbs in a skillet until crispy and sprinkle this crispy breadcrumb mixture on top of each bowl of stew.