pork-cassoulet

Category: Leftover Recipes

Perfect for using up stray bits and pieces from the fridge, this pork and bean stew is rich, warming and cheap to prepare

4 tbsp fat (lard if you’re budgeting, goose or duck fat if you're not)
350g assorted pork, diced (a mixture of bacon, sausage and diced pork works well)
1 large onion, halved and sliced
10 fat garlic cloves, peeled
1 carrot, thinly sliced
1 tsp fennel seeds
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
600ml stock
1 tbsp tomato purée
2 rosemary stalks, leaves picked and chopped
handful of parsley, finely chopped
400g can haricot or cannellini beans, drained
few tbsp fresh or dried breadcrumbs
drizzle of oil, whatever you have
crusty bread, to serve
green vegetables, to serve

STEP 1
Heat oven to 140C/120C fan/gas 1. Put a large ovenproof pan (with a tight-fitting lid) on a high heat. Add your fat and diced meat, cook for a few mins to seal the edges, giving it a quick stir to cook evenly. Reduce the heat to low, add the sliced onion, whole garlic cloves, carrot and fennel seeds, and cook gently to soften the veg for a few mins.
STEP 2
Pour over the red wine vinegar, scraping any meaty bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, tomato purée, and half the rosemary and parsley. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 mins, then season, cover with a lid and put into the oven for 2 hrs, removing the lid for the final hour of cooking. Stir occasionally and add the beans with 30 mins to go.
STEP 3
Remove the pan from the oven and heat the grill. Scatter the top with the remaining herbs and breadcrumbs, drizzle a little oil over the top, and return to the oven for 5-10 mins, until the breadcrumbs are golden. Serve with crusty bread and green veg.