Pork and Beans Stew
Ingredients
- 2½ cups (482.5 g) pinto or canalleni beans soaked in water for 12 hours
- 2 strips bacon, sliced into lardons
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 small carrot, diced
- 1 rib celery, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, smashed with flat side of knife
- 2 bay leaves
- 5 Roma tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 1 tablespoon (16 g) tomato paste
- 4 cups (948 ml) dry white wine
- 10 leaves fresh sage, destemmed
- 6 country-style sausage links (such as Kiolbassa or Slovacek’s)
- 5 cups (1.2 l) unsalted chicken stock or broth
- 3 envelopes unflavored gelatin (such as Knox)
- 1-2 large handfuls chopped kale (optional)
Instructions
- Pour 2 cups (473 ml) of chicken stock or broth into a bowl. Open envelopes of unflavored gelatin and sprinkle the gelatin powder evenly over the cool liquid (this process is called “blooming the gelatin”).
- Warm the remaining amount of chicken stock or broth in a pan. Then add your bloomed gelatin to the warm stock and allow it to completely dissolve. The chicken stock is now ready to use. Set it aside.
- Drain the beans from their soaking liquid and place them in a pot. Add enough water to cover the beans and bring to a boil. Boil for about a minute. Then drain and rinse and set aside.
- In a separate pan, put the sliced bacon. Cook until the fat is rendered and the bacon is slightly crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan. Add the sausage links and cook until browned. Remove the sausage links from the pan.
- Add onions to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Then add carrots and cook for 2 minutes, continuing to stir. Next, add celery and cook for 2 more minutes while stirring continuously. Finally, add the smashed garlic and cook for about 30 seconds. Return the bacon and sausage links to the pan.
- Pour in the white wine and reduce it by half. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, drained beans, chicken stock and bay leaves. Simmer for 1 to 1½ hours, stirring from time to time to break up the tomatoes.
- In the final 30 minutes of cooking, add the sage leaves and greens (if using). Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
