Cassoulet with Bacon, Andouille, and Country Ribs

Kristine borrowed a version of cassoulet from Bob Waggoner, a classically trained chef known for his haute update of Lowcountry cuisine at Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina. He puts a Southern spin on the homey French country dish cassoulet by replacing the usual duck or goose confit with three varieties of pork. Prep: 12 minutes; Cook: 3 1/2 hours; Stand: 15 minutes.

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2  cups  dried great Northern beans
• 10  cup  chicken stock
• 3  pounds  bone-in country-style pork ribs, trimmed
• 1/2  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 1/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 2  tablespoons  unsalted butter
• 1/2  pound  thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1  pound  andouille sausage, cut into 1/4-inch slices
• 1  large onion, finely chopped
• 2  carrots, diced
• 6  garlic cloves, chopped
• 6  large plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
• 1  tablespoon  fresh thyme, chopped
• 1  bay leaf

Preparation

1. Place beans in a medium bowl. Cover with water 2 inches above beans; let soak 8 hours. Drain.

2. Bring beans and chicken stock to a boil in a Dutch oven. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 1 hour or until beans are tender. Drain beans, reserving stock, and set beans aside. Return stock to pot, and bring to a boil over high heat; cook 20 minutes or until reduced to 4 cups. Set stock aside.

3. Remove meat from rib bones, reserving bones; cut meat into 1-inch pieces, and sprinkle with pepper and kosher salt.

4. Melt butter in an ovenproof Dutch oven. Working in 2 batches, cook rib meat 4 minutes or until browned. Remove from pot, and keep warm. Add bacon to pot; cook 7 minutes or until crisp. Remove from pot, and keep warm. Add sausage to pot; cook 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove from pot, and keep warm. Return rib bones to pot; cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes per side or until lightly browned. Remove from pot, and set aside.

5. Reduce heat to medium; add onion, carrot, and garlic to pan, and sauté 7 minutes or until tender. Add tomato, thyme, and bay leaf; cook 3 minutes. Add reserved meats, and cook 2 minutes, stirring often, until thoroughly heated.

6. Place reserved rib bones on top of meat mixture. Top with reserved beans and stock. Bake, uncovered, at 300° for 1 hour and 40 minutes or until bubbly and beans are lightly browned and crisp. Let stand 15 minutes.