Pork Cassoulet with Pork Confit and Winter Tomato Sauce
BON APPÉTIT DECEMBER 2005
This traditional recipe calls for pork confit, which you'll need to prepare at least two weeks before making the cassoulet. The confit adds undeniable richness and authenticity.
YIELDMakes 14 to 16 servings
INGREDIENTS
Beans
• 8 quarts water, divided
• 2 pounds dried beans, such as Emergo beans or French horticultural beans (about 5 cups)
• 12 fresh parsley sprigs
• 6 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 8-ounce piece pancetta (Italian bacon; about 1 inch thick)
• 1 medium onion, skin on
• 1 whole garlic head, skin on
• 2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
Wine sauce
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 2 cups dry white wine
• Thawed reserved juices from Pork Confit plus additional low-salt chicken broth (if needed) to measure 2 cups total
• 4 cupsWinter Tomato Sauce
Cassoulet
• 3 pounds sweet Italian sausages
• Pork Confit (see recipe)
• 2 cups coarse fresh breadcrumbs
• 1/4 cup olive oil
PREPARATION
For beans:
Bring 4 quarts water to boil in large pot. Add beans. Boil 3 minutes. Remove pot from heat, cover, and let stand 1 hour. Drain; return beans to pot. Using kitchen string, tie parsley, thyme, and bay leaves in double layer of cheesecloth; add to pot. Add remaining 4 quarts water, pancetta, onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to beans; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer over medium-low heat until beans are just tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Drain beans, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Discard herb bundle, onion, and garlic. Transfer pancetta to work surface (reserve pancetta for wine sauce).
For wine sauce:
Heat olive oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions to pot and sauté until tender and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add wine; boil until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally, about 6 minutes. Add reserved juices from confit. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, cut reserved pancetta into 1/2-inch cubes. Heat heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat; add pancetta and sauté until beginning to turn brown and crisp, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to wine sauce. Add Winter Tomato Sauce to pot; season to taste with salt and pepper.
For cassoulet:
Preheat oven to 400°F. Heat 2 heavy large skillets over medium heat. Divide sausages among skillets; cover and cook until brown and cooked through, turning occasionally, about 20 minutes. Transfer sausages to work surface. Cool slightly, then cut into 2-inch pieces.
Spoon 1/3 of beans (about 4 cups) into 8-quart ovenproof pot, spreading in even layer. Arrange half of confit and half of sausages over beans. Pour 1/3 of wine sauce (about 2 1/3 cups) over meat. Spoon half of remaining beans (about 4 cups) over sauce. Arrange remaining confit and sausages over beans. Pour half of remaining sauce over meat (about 2 1/3 cups). Spoon remaining beans over sauce, then pour remaining sauce over beans. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cover cassoulet and reserved cooking liquid separately and chill. Let stand at room temperature 2 hours before continuing.) Drizzle enough reserved bean cooking liquid over beans to barely submerge if needed. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over. Drizzle breadcrumbs with olive oil.
Bake cassoulet uncovered until bubbling around edges and crumbs are beginning to brown, about 1 hour.
Market Tip:
Emergo beans can be purchased through chefshop.com, and heirloom French horticultural beans can be purchased through beanbag.net. If you can't find them, Great Northern beans or cannellini (white kidney beans) will also work.
Test-Kitchen Tip:
The cooking time of dried beans can vary greatly. Recently dried beans will cook more quickly than those dried a year or more ago.
Start the confit at least two weeks ahead. This would also be delicious on its own served with mashed potatoes.
YIELDMakes about 2 1/2 pounds
INGREDIENTS
• 6 bay leaves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence*
• 2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 4 pounds boneless pork shoulder (Boston butt), cut into 3-inch cubes, fat left intact
• 2 onions, sliced
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 6 fresh thyme sprigs
• 1 fresh rosemary sprig
• Melted lard or olive oil (about 1 quart)
PREPARATION
Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Add pork; turn and rub to coat well. Cover and chill overnight.
Preheat oven to 275°F. Place onions, garlic, thyme sprigs, and rosemary sprig in large ovenproof pot. Pat pork dry with paper towels and place atop vegetables in pot. Pour enough melted lard over pork to cover by 1 inch. Cover and place pork in oven. Roast until pork is tender, turning occasionally (keep pork covered with lard at all times), about 4 hours.
Using slotted spoon, transfer pork to another large bowl, packing tightly. Strain liquid in pot into 4-cup measuring cup; discard solids in strainer. Allow juices to settle at bottom of cup, about 15 minutes. Carefully pour enough fat from cup over pork in bowl to cover by 1 inch. Pour juices from bottom of cup into resealable plastic freezer bag; seal and freeze to use for making thePork Cassoulet (it's also great as a sauce). Cover and refrigerate pork at least 2 weeks and up to 2 months (keep pork covered with fat).
Rewarm pork confit to melt lard. Drain pork before using.
*A dried herb mixture available in the spice section of many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores. A combination of dried thyme, basil, savory, and fennel seeds can be substituted.
Winter Tomato Sauce
This is also a wonderful sauce for hearty pasta dishes.
YIELDMakes 4 cups
INGREDIENTS
• 2 28-ounce cans whole Italian-style tomatoes
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cups chopped onions
• 8 large fresh thyme sprigs
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled, quartered
• 4 4-inch-long fresh rosemary sprigs
• 4 large fresh basil sprigs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 oil-packed anchovy fillet
• 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon Hungarian or Spanish sweet paprika
PREPARATION
Using fingers, split open tomatoes; remove and discard seeds. Chop tomatoes; reserve juice. Heat oil in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add chopped tomatoes and reserved juice and all remaining ingredients; stir to combine. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium and simmer uncovered until sauce is reduced to 4 cups, stirring often, about 1 hour.
Remove bay leaf and any stems from herbs. Pass sauce through food mill fitted with large holes. Alternately, transfer to processor. Using on/off turns, process to coarse puree.
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