Photo by Michael Piazza / Styled by Catrine Kelty

Making an impressive presentation at the table, this joint of pork with crosshatched crackling stands up like an island in a sea of saucy beans. Don’t be afraid of the pork fat and skin here: The long cooking time will render out the fat and crisp the skin, lending richness to the beans and a bit of crunch to the finished dish. Just be sure your braising pan’s lid is deep enough; a piece of parchment paper between the meat and the dome of the lid will protect the skin from scorching.

Using a hefty shank-end picnic shoulder makes a feast for a crowd, but you could try whole pork hocks, cross-cut shin (sometimes sold as “pork osso buco”) or even thick, bone-in country-style ribs in a pinch. The beauty of this braise is that it’s very versatile, ingredients-wise; exact measurements are not important, nor are the specific vegetables. If you don’t have fennel, make up for it with more celery. No shallots? Use a second onion. If you only have dried herbs, by all means use them in place of fresh, and feel free to use a can of high-quality white beans (rinsed) in place of freshly cooked ones if it’s easier.

Serve 6 as a main supper, plus leftovers

Pork Rub:
1 (4- to 5-pound) bone-in pork picnic shoulder, skin on
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, lightly crushed
¼ teaspoon red chili flakes
1 fat clove garlic, slivered
extra-virgin olive oil

Braise:
1 yellow onion, finely diced (about 2 cups)
1 bulb fennel, finely diced (about 1½ cups)
2 shallots, sliced
1 pound carrots, finely diced (about 2 cups)
2–3 stalks celery, finely diced (about 2 cups), including any leaves from the heart of the bunch
8 cloves garlic, 6 minced and 2 whole
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh thyme leaves
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
¼ cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley, plus more for garnish
2 bay leaves, fresh or dried, divided
1¼ cups dry white wine (Picpoul de Pinet, Albariño or Grüner Veltliner are good choices)
1 cup chicken stock or water
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup Baer’s Best dried white beans (flageolets, navy, otebo, cannellini, soldier), soaked overnight

Salsa Verde:
1 cup minced flat-leaf Italian parsley
1 teaspoon capers, minced
1 clove garlic, grated
zest of 1 organic lemon
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 anchovies, minced
pinch chili flakes
extra-virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a very sharp knife, score the pork skin in a cross-hatch pattern all over; it doesn’t matter if the scores connect perfectly around the leg. Using the tip of the knife, make a few slits into the meat and insert slivers of garlic. Rub the roast all over with plenty of salt and pepper, the fennel seeds and chili flakes. NOTE: If you can, season the pork and stud it with garlic the night before you plan to cook it for the best flavor.

In a shallow lidded oven-proof braiser, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high and sear the pork all over, allowing the skin to blister in places and the exposed meat to get deeply browned. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Using a pot holder and a long handled spoon, tilt the pot and spoon out almost all of the fat, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add the onion, fennel, shallot, carrot and celery to the hot pan, stirring to wilt and release some of their liquid. Season with salt and pepper and then add 6 cloves minced garlic. Sauté until lightly browned and aromatic, about 4–6 minutes. Stir in the herbs and 1 bay leaf; add the wine and reduce, stirring, until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add the broth or water, stir, then return the pork to the braiser, nestling the pork skin side up in the vegetables. Arrange a piece of parchment over the meat and cover with the lid; place in the oven to braise, 2½–3 hours.

While the pork braises, cook the beans. Bring the soaked beans and 4 cups water to a boil with 2 whole cloves peeled garlic, 1 bay leaf and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Reduce to a simmer, add 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally and adding more water if needed, about 30 minutes. Check beans occasionally for doneness; they should cook through in about 30–45 minutes, or up to 1 hour, depending on the freshness of the beans. When tender, remove from heat and set aside. Taste and season with more salt if needed.

After 3 hours, remove the braiser from the oven and check that pork is tender and falling away from the bone. Discard parchment. Increase heat to 400°F, stir Dijon mustard into the vegetables and add ¼ cup water if liquid has evaporated. Return the braiser to the oven, lidless, to brown and crisp up the skin, 30 minutes more.

For the salsa verde: Stir together all ingredients besides olive oil; drizzle oil into the salsa until it just comes together as a spoonable sauce. Taste for sharpness and add more lemon juice if you’d like it to be more sour. Set aside.

Remove the pork from the oven and, using a slotted spoon, add the beans to the vegetables around the meat, stirring them in to blend the flavors; sprinkle with any remaining minced parsley. Carve the pork at the table and serve in chunks, with bits of crispy skin for every diner and big dollops of salsa verde.

This recipe appeared in the Winter 2022 issue as part of a larger story, In Praise of the Braise.