Cassoulet (serves 10 to 12)
3/4 pound boneless pork shoulder, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
3/4 pound boneless lamb shoulder, cut into 1-1/2-inch cubes
1 pound mild Italian garlic sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 chicken thighs
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 cups red wine
1 can (14.5 ounces) low-sodium beef broth
1 cup slab bacon (1/2-inch dice)
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1-1/2 cups chopped, peeled carrot
1 large fennel bulb, tops removed, halved lengthwise,
cored, and thinly sliced crosswise
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 can (6 ounces) tomato paste
4 cans (15 ounces each) Great Northern beans, drained
and rinsed
1/4 cup unseasoned dried bread crumbs
Sour cream for garnish
Preheat the oven to 350. Arrange the pork, lamb, sausage, and
chicken in a large roasting pan or on a rimmed baking sheet large
enough to spread out the meat without crowding. Drizzle 4
tablespoons of the olive oil over the meats, season with salt and
pepper, and then toss to coat the meats evenly. Roast the meats
until they are tender and brown, 50 to 60 minutes. Remove from the
oven, transfer the meat to a large plate or baking dish, and set
aside.
Drain off any accumulated fat from the pan and discard. While
the pan is still warm, add the wine and beef broth. Using the back
of a wooden spoon, stir to free up the browned bits from the bottom
of the pan. Pour the wine mixture into a separate container and set
aside.
In a heavy, 3-quart saucepan over medium heat, cook the
bacon, stirring frequently, until well browned and the fat is
rendered, 10 to 12 minutes. Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of the
fat. Add the onion, carrot, and fennel to the pan and saut stirring
frequently, until the vegetables are lightly browned and softened,
8 to 10 minutes. Add three fourths of the garlic, the bay leaf, and
the thyme and saut for 2 minutes longer. Add the wine mixture and
simmer until reduced by one third, about 8 minutes. Stir in the
tomato paste and ketchup. Add the beans, reduce the heat to low,
and simmer, stirring frequently, until some of the liquid is
absorbed and the mixture is no longer soupy, about 10 minutes.
Transfer the bean mixture to an attractive 8-quart
oven-to-table baking dish (now you know why the French created
those muscle-building, hard-to-find-a-place-to-store cast iron
baking dishes!). Arrange the roasted meats on top and press them
into the beans. Cover the casserole and bake at 350 until the meat
is fork-tender, about 1 hour.
Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the bread crumbs, the
teaspoon salt, the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, and the
remaining minced garlic. When the meat is tender, remove the baking
dish from the oven and increase the oven temperature to 425.
Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture evenly over the surface and return
the dish to the oven. Bake, uncovered, until the bread crumbs are
nicely browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream for
spooning on top. |