Rustic Butterbean Cassoulet With Tender Pork and Fresh Gremolata

Preheat your oven to 160°C/320°F. Ensure all vegetables and meats are prepared and measured before beginning the cooking process.

Heat the olive oil in the heavy-bottomed Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the diced bacon and cook until the fat renders and the meat is crisp, which takes about 5 minutes. Remove the cooked bacon with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a plate, leaving the rendered fat in the pot.

Practice safe food handling by using a dedicated cutting board for the raw pork to prevent cross-contamination. Season the pork shoulder cubes generously with the kosher salt and black pepper. Working in batches to avoid crowding the pot, sear the pork in the hot bacon fat until deeply browned on all sides, allowing about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer the seared pork to the plate with the bacon.

Place the whole pork sausages into the pot and sear them until browned on all sides, taking about 5 minutes. Remove the sausages, slice them into thick 3 centimeter segments, and set them aside with the other cooked meats. Wash your hands and equipment thoroughly after handling the raw meat.

Lower the stovetop heat to medium-low. Add the finely diced onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Sauté the mixture until the vegetables soften and begin to caramelize, about 8 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and tomato paste, and continue cooking for 2 more minutes until the paste darkens intensely.

Pour the dry white wine into the pot to deglaze it, using a wooden spoon to scrape up all the flavorful browned bits stuck to the bottom. Allow the wine to boil and reduce by half, which should take roughly 3 minutes.

Return all the seared meats along with any accumulated resting juices back into the pot. Add the thoroughly drained butterbeans, chicken stock, fresh thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. The liquid level should just barely cover the solid ingredients. Bring the stew up to a very gentle simmer.

Cover the Dutch oven tightly with its lid and transfer it to the preheated oven. Braise the stew for 1 hour and 30 minutes. Before removing permanently from the heat, ensure all cuts of meat, especially the sausages, reach a safe internal temperature of 74°C/165°F.

While the cassoulet is braising in the oven, prepare the fresh garnish. In a small mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped flat-leaf parsley, lemon zest, and minced garlic. Stir gently to mix the gremolata and let it sit at room temperature to allow the aromatic oils to bloom.

Carefully remove the heavy pot from the oven and discard the thyme stems and bay leaves. Let the stew rest uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the residual heat to settle and the savory sauce to thicken slightly.

Ladle the hot, rustic cassoulet into wide, shallow bowls. Generously sprinkle the vibrant lemon and garlic gremolata over the top of each portion immediately before serving to provide a fresh contrast to the rich meat.