Smoked Pork Shank with White Beans

Chef John's recipe for smoked pork shank with white beans is the perfect fall or winter dish for a cold evening.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 2 hr
• Total Time: 2 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 458 Calories

Ingredients

• salt and ground black pepper to taste
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1 quart water
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh oregano
• 1 pinch red pepper flakes, or to taste
• 2 tablespoons butter, or to taste
• 1 pound dry cannellini beans
• 1 (1 1/2) pound smoked pork shank
• 1 recipe homemade gremolata (see footnote)

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place cannellini beans in a large container and cover with several inches of cool water; let stand 8 hours to overnight. Drain and rinse.

Step 2

Melt butter in a heavy pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion in hot butter until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Step 3

Stir pork shank, water, chicken stock, and bay leaves into onion mixture; bring to simmer, reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until flavors blend, about 45 minutes.

Step 4

Turn shank over and stir oregano, rosemary, and red pepper flakes into chicken stock mixture; add beans and stir. Return mixture to a simmer, cover the pot with a lid, and simmer until beans are almost tender, about 1 hour. Simmer uncovered until beans are tender, about 30 minutes more. Cool to room temperature, cover the pot, and refrigerate, 8 hours to overnight.

Step 5

Spoon accumulated fat from the top of the chilled bean mixture and discard fat. Remove pork shank; cut meat into slices and discard bone.

Step 6

Stir sliced pork shank, tomato, gremolata, salt, and black pepper into bean mixture over medium heat; cook and stir until heated through, 10 to 15 minutes.