Description
Thomas Keller’s Slow Cooker Cassoulet is a hearty and savory French-inspired dish featuring tender pork shoulder, smoky chorizo, creamy beans, and rich flavors slowly melded together in a slow cooker for an effortless, comforting meal.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Meat and Protein
- 3 1/2-4 lb. boneless pork shoulder
- 4 ounces thick-cut bacon or diced pancetta
- 1 1/2 pounds cooked or smoked Spanish-style chorizo sausage
Vegetables and Aromatics
- 3 medium yellow onions coarsely chopped
- 1 head of garlic halved crosswise
- 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley plus more for garnishing
Pantry Staples
- 3 tsp kosher salt divided
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1 cup panko-style breadcrumbs
- 2 cups dry white wine (sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, etc.)
- 1/4 cup tomato paste
- 28 oz. peeled Italian plum tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 12 cups cooked Great Northern beans or cannellini beans drained (~7 cans)
Instructions
- Prepare Pork: Trim pork shoulder of excess fat and cut into 8 pieces. Place in a large bowl and toss with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper until well combined. Set aside.
- Toast Breadcrumbs: In a large skillet, combine canola oil and panko breadcrumbs. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, for 6 minutes until golden brown and toasted. Transfer to an airtight container and set aside.
- Cook Bacon: Cut bacon into ½-inch strips. Using the same skillet, cook bacon for 4-5 minutes until crispy. Transfer to paper towel-lined plate and pat dry. Reserve bacon fat in skillet.
- Brown Pork: Add half of the pork pieces to the skillet and sauté for 1-2 minutes per side until browned. Remove and repeat with remaining pork.
- Sauté Onions: Add chopped onions and remaining 1 tsp kosher salt to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 7 minutes until softened.
- Reduce Wine: Pour in white wine and simmer for 10 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add Tomato Mixture: Stir in tomato paste, chopped tomatoes, and chicken broth until well combined. Transfer this mixture to the slow cooker.
- Add Remaining Ingredients: Slice chorizo on a diagonal into ½-inch pieces and add to the slow cooker along with cooked beans, browned pork, and halved garlic head.
- Slow Cook: Cover the slow cooker and cook on low for 10 hours, until pork is tender and shreds easily with two forks.
- Finish Cassoulet: Remove and discard the garlic halves. Stir in toasted breadcrumbs and chopped parsley until well combined.
- Rest: Let the cassoulet stand for 30 minutes to develop flavors.
- Serve: Sprinkle each serving with crispy bacon, additional parsley, and a pinch of kosher salt.
Notes
- For enhanced flavor, substitute canola oil with duck fat when toasting breadcrumbs.
- Instead of removing the garlic halves, you can squeeze out the softened garlic cloves into the cassoulet for more subtle garlic flavor.
- Use low-sodium chicken broth to control salt levels and adjust seasoning at the end.
- Be sure to brown the pork pieces well to add depth and richness to the dish.
- Allowing the cassoulet to rest before serving helps the flavors to meld and the texture to thicken slightly.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 4 g
- Sodium: 650 mg
- Fat: 22 g
- Saturated Fat: 7 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 36 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 85 mg
